INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage developing countries to use revenues from exports of energy supplies to support programmes combating poverty in Africa.

Hilary Benn: DFID is promoting the transparency of payments and revenues from extractive industries in those countries where such industries contribute the major portion of government revenues. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, launched by the Prime Minister in 2002, is gaining support from several African countries including Nigeria, with discussions taking place in several others. What governments do with the revenues from the export of energy (in particular oil) is another issue. DFID is working with developing countries to assist them develop and implement their poverty reduction strategies, including the relative importance of forestry and other natural assets.

China

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if Her Majesty's Government will agree to earmark part of their financial contributions to the UN High Commission for Refugees specifically for North Korean refugees in China.

Hilary Benn: DFID normally funds the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) through un-earmarked funding—ie UNHRC decide how to use resources based on their needs assessment process. DFID contributes £17 million core un-earmarked funding per year under a bilateral Institutional Strategy Agreement.
	Un-earmarked funding allows UNHCR to prioritise their work based on humanitarian principles. Earmarking funds can contribute to inequitable and sometimes disproportionate resource allocation between crises.
	This approach is part of wider international initiative on 'Good Humanitarian Donorship', which aims to improve humanitarian response through greater effectiveness, accountability and coordination between the key humanitarian organisations, including UNHCR to identify and agree prioritisation of need and hence equitable resource allocation. The UK is a strong supporter of good humanitarian donorship and has made commitments to take this forward.
	DFID understands that the UNHCR do not have a funding problem in China hence there is no apparent need to vary DFID's normal approach.

Civil Service Relocation

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil servants and what percentage of the total civil service workforce in his Department will be relocated over the next five years (a) outside the M25, (b) to the West Midlands and (c) to Staffordshire.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	The Lyons report gives details of Department's relocation plans, which are being taken forward and refined as part of the Spending Review. The Government will announce proposals for implementing and monitoring dispersal plans in the review. The Home Office is determining its own dispersal strategy in the light of the Lyons report and its own particular business needs and priorities.

Zambia

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations his Department has received from non-governmental organisations about (a) trade liberalisation, (b) privatisation and (c) investment deregulation in Zambia; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The reforms of the 1990s which dismantled pervasive government controls of Zambia's economy to establish a market based system have generated a vigorous and on-going debate in Zambia. The World Development Movement recently produced a report—"Zambia: Condemned to Debt"—adopting a largely critical view of these reforms. The evidence suggests a more positive view is justified.
	Zambia's long run of economic decline is showing signs of reversal. Economic growth, which had been near zero from the mid 1970s to mid 1990s, has averaged 3.4 per cent. per annum since 1995. Zambia has experienced its longest period of sustained growth for three decades with the fifth successive year of positive growth in 2003.
	The pace of liberalisation and deregulation in the early 1990s was rapid. The impact of reform has varied across sectors. People working in urban manufacturing suffered from the removal of protection before alternative employment opportunities were available. The improved growth since 1995 has been insufficient to boost overall employment, although there have been new jobs in service sectors. A new and significant commercial agriculture sector has also emerged. This has provided most of the impressive growth in non-copper exports, which have expanded from US$100 million in the early 1990s to US$405 million in 2003. It has also improved livelihoods. Since the privatisation of the cotton sector the number of small farmers in out-grower schemes has risen from 50,000 to 250,000. However, people who lack commercial opportunities and those hardest hit by food insecurity and HIV/AIDS remain very vulnerable.
	The impact of privatisation has also been mixed. The reforms led to job losses during the 1990s, although this often reflected the struggling position of state enterprises before privatisation. The economic performance of these enterprises has improved, with 239 of 254 entities privatised still operating, but growth has been insufficient to provide significant new employment. Privatisation has also ended a major drain on government resources. For example Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines ran losses of US$15–20 million per month in the two years prior to privatisation. This was equivalent to 69 per cent. of the entire health and education budgets during those years. Privatisation in this case has freed up significant resources for poverty reduction.
	The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) believe that stronger diversification and private sector development, rather than continued dependence on copper and state industries, must be the basis for Zambia's long run growth and poverty reduction. The Department for International Development continues to provide significant support to Zambia as the Government seek to improve macroeconomic stability and the business environment in its efforts to achieve the 6–8 per cent. growth required to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Zambia

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department's officials have had with representatives of non-governmental organisations concerning the situation in Zambia.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development (DFID) maintains a regular dialogue with non-governmental organisations in Zambia.
	DFID works closely with Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), whose members include major non-governmental organisations such as the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and Oxfam. CSPR plays a significant role in contributing to the Government of the Republic of Zambia's Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) and in arguing for debt cancellation. The effectiveness of development assistance in the implementation of the PRS, and the need to look beyond the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Completion Point are regular themes of discussions with CSPR representatives. DFID agrees with CSPR that a new approach to aid delivery combined with sound budget and domestic debt management is required to ensure government is effective in delivering services for long term poverty reduction.
	DFID has drawn on its dialogue with CSPR members and other non-governmental organisations to help identify key areas of vulnerability for the poor. This helped inform DFID's new Country Assistance Plan in highlighting food insecurity and HIV/AIDS as the most critical risks facing poor people in Zambia. DFID has recently agreed a Programme Partnership Agreement with CARE Zambia to enable the poorest to better manage social risk associated with food security, destitution and HIV/AIDS.

Zambia

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has (a) drawn up and (b) implemented to help reduce the number of people affected by HIV/AIDS in Zambia.

Hilary Benn: Zambia has endured high HIV infection rates for many years. Currently the HIV prevalence rate among adults is 16 per cent. In June 2003, DFID Zambia began implementing a £20 million five-year programme to tackle HIV/AIDS. Its main elements are:
	strengthening the National Aids Council (NAC);
	providing public sector services such as drugs for treating sexually transmitted infections, education materials for use in schools, condoms, and supporting the prevention of mother to child transmission;
	funding civil society organisations that work on behaviour change, care and support of those infected and affected, and protecting human rights, particularly of women and girls; and
	supporting HIV/AIDS private sector workplace interventions.
	In addition, DFID's £20 million Zambia Health Programme (2001–05) is strengthening health systems in Zambia. A new £10 million Programme Partnership Agreement with CARE International, Zambia, includes £2 million toward supporting positive living for those infected with HIV/AIDS.
	All the programmes that DFID supports in the social, economic and services sectors in Zambia have an HIV/AIDS component. DFID is planning to expand our support in these areas.

Zambia

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian implications of the level of external debt in Zambia.

Hilary Benn: Zambia's external debt poses severe problems both in terms of the stock of debt and the particularly high level of debt service in the 2001–05 period. Zambia's scheduled external debt service averages US$570 million per year during 2001–05. This is equivalent to approximately 80 per cent. of total government domestic revenues. However, under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, Zambia's actual external debt service has averaged US$122 million per year in the three years since Decision Point in December 2000. This has been essential in enabling the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to maintain and improve vital public services.
	During this period GRZ's expenditure on health has averaged US$161 million per year, an increase of 63 per cent. on the three previous years. Expenditure on education has averaged US$182 million per year, an increase of 53 per cent. on the three previous years.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) supports GRZ in its objective of reaching HIPC Completion Point at the earliest opportunity. The recent approval of a new Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the International Monetary Fund is a major milestone towards this. DFID is also engaging in dialogue with GRZ and other donors to ensure that development assistance is effectively delivered in support of GRZ's Poverty Reduction Strategy after Completion Point.

Zambia

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) International Monetary Fund and (b) World Bank policies in Zambia.

Hilary Benn: The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) embarked on a comprehensive programme of economic reforms during the 1990s, with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other development agencies, including the Department for International Development (DFID).
	There is evidence that the reforms have started to reverse Zambia's long run of economic decline. Economic growth, which had been near zero from the mid 1970s to mid 1990s, has averaged 3.4 per cent. per annum since 1995. 2003 marked the fifth successive year of positive growth for Zambia under an IMF macro-economic programme.
	While this improved economic performance is welcome. Other aspects of reform have had mixed results. Closure of urban manufacturing and state owned enterprises before alternative employment opportunities were available, affected people working in those sectors. The emergence of commercial agriculture and stemming the drain on the budget from nationalised industry losses, have not fully offset the negative impact on urban poverty or benefited remote rural areas.
	The Zambian Government's public sector reform programme, largely implemented with World Bank assistance, has made very slow progress since its launch in 1993. The current reform agenda, with a focus on public financial management and financial sector reforms is making better progress. It has been developed with a clear sense of leadership by GRZ and support from a wider group of development agencies.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Best Value

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if, following the publication by his Department of the Best Value User Satisfaction Surveys 2003–4: General Survey Initial Topline Report, he will place in the Library the unaudited data for each of the 377 authorities for the 14 best value performance indicators.

Nick Raynsford: It is not our usual practice to publish unaudited data for Best Value User Satisfaction Surveys and consequently this information is not currently available in a format which is suitable for placing in the Library. We are currently exploring the possibility of publishing this data prior to the publication of the audited data. However, the unaudited data can be found in the Best Value Performance Plan which each local authority is required to publish each year, in this case by 30 June 2004.
	The audited data for this survey, which will consist of a more in-depth analysis than the unaudited data, will be published in autumn of this year and a copy of this will be made available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Funding

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) programmes, (b) projects, (c) initiatives and (d) other components which make up his Department's planned (i) revenue and (ii) capital budget for (A) housing and homelessness, (B) neighbourhood renewal and (C) sustainable communities for 2004–05; and what (1) expenditure and (2) staffing numbers are allocated to each.

Keith Hill: The table below shows the latest 2004–05 budget allocations for the housing and homelessness, neighbourhood renewal and sustainable communities programmes.
	
		£ million
		
			 Programme Resource Budget 2004–05 Capital Budget 2004–05 
		
		
			 (A) Housing and Homelessness 
			 Housing Corporation Board remuneration and pensions 0.230 0 
			 The National Approved Letting Scheme 0.084 0 
			 Local Authority Social Housing Grant Transitional compensation 17.500 0 
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 2.200 98.800 
			 Housing Defects Grant 0.130 0.070 
			 Home Improvement Agencies 0.423 0 
			 Residential Property Tribunal Service 10.220 0 
			 Housing Mobility Grants 6.742 0 
			 Housing Management grants (incl. Tenant Participation) 5.100 0 
			 Gypsy site grant 0.000 8.000 
			 Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service 0.580 0 
			 Valuation Office Agency Right to buy charge 1.800 0 
			 Efficiency improvements in local government 0.466 0 
			 Homelessness 60.000 0 
			 Home Buying and Selling 1.500 0 
			 Local Authority funding of pilot letting systems 1.000 0 
			 Best Intervention in Housing 1.000 0 
			 Private Landlords in Low Demand Areas 1.000 0 
			 Payments to the Audit Commission for RSL Inspections 1.800 0 
			 LA Regional Housing 0 801.000 
			 Arms Length Management Organisations 0 817.114 
			 Capital Pooled Housing Receipts 0 30.000 
			 Overhanging debt repayment on disposal of LA housing stock 0 616.000 
			 Housing Action Trusts 43.800 0 
			 Housing Corporation 1,766.712 0.005 
			 Supporting People 1,864.739 0 
			 Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 12.647 0 
			 Total 3,774.379 2,310.989 
			 (B) Neighbourhood Renewal   
			 New Deal for Communities 175.260 96.740 
			 New Ventures Fund 98.750 0.000 
			 Total 274.010 96.740 
			 (C) Sustainable Communities   
			 Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment 6.000 0 
			 Housing Market Renewal Fund 150.000 0 
			 European Regional Development Fund 89.249 128.102 
			 Design Awards 0.050 0 
			 Research 9.769 0 
			 Urban Design Skills 6.500 0 
			 Liveablity Fund 40.500 0 
			 Thames Gateway 23.000 175.000 
			 Other Growth Areas 9.500 49.000 
			 Regional Development Agencies—ODPM Support 1,104.983 130.000 
			 London Development Agency—ODPM support 106.880 170.000 
			 Mersey Basin 0.520 0 
			 Groundwork 23.000 0 
			 Coalfields Regeneration Trust 17.650 0 
			 Special Grants Programme 2.250 0 
			 Coalfields Enterprise Fund 0 5.000 
			 Sustainable Communities Communications 0.440 0 
			 Commission for the New Towns 12.515 1.000 
			 EP: Urban Regeneration Agency 133.782 18.500 
			 Lee Valley Regional Park 0 0.458 
			 Total 1,736.588 675.060 
		
	
	The latest 2004–05 administration budgets and staffing complements allocated to the relevant Units in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are:
	
		
			  Budgets (1) £ million Staff (full time equivalent) 
		
		
			 Housing and homelessness 8.671 190 
			 Neighbourhood Renewal 7.362 151.5 
			 Sustainable communities 14.192 276 
		
	
	(1) These figures exclude the relevant Unit's share of centrally managed budgets such as IT and accommodation costs.

Departmental Staff

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent staff there have been in (a) his Department and (b) agencies of the Department in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. Staffing information is published annually in the "Civil Service Statistics". Copies of the publication for the years in the question are available in the Library of the House and on the Cabinet Office Civil Service Statistics website at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics.

Departmental Travel

Howard Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on first class travel for departmental and executive agency employees in each year since 2001.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. Based on information from contracted suppliers expenditure on first class rail travel by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was:
	
		
			  £ thousand 
		
		
			 2002–03 396 
			 2003–04 213 
		
	
	Information is not held centrally on the first class element of other forms of travel, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Information on first class travel by executive agency employees could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Government Estate (Sustainable Development)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which parts of his Department's estate will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Phil Hope: The following parts of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's estate will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate:
	Supporting People Programme team in Glossop—six officials;
	Counselling Support Service in Bootle—one official;
	Fire Statistics in BRE Watford—18 officials.
	These small teams are housed remotely from other parts of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and do not have sufficient resources available to gather the reliable information required by the Framework. The teams do, where possible, partake in greening initiatives of their host department, landlord or local authority.
	Since November 2002, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has monitored Departments' performance against the Framework targets in the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/index. htm. The Second Annual report, published in November 2003, contains data based on the financial year April 2002 to March 2003. Copies are also available in the Library of the House.

Government Estate (Sustainable Development)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps have been taken by his Department to review arrangements for public reporting of sustainable development impacts under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a policy commitment to publish its sustainable development impacts, activity and performance. The report for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's first full year is presently with specialist consultants for independent verification and will be published shortly. The data for 2003–04 is presently being collated and a report is expected to be published in October 2004.
	Since November 2002, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has monitored Departments' performance against the Framework targets in the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/index. htm. The Second Annual report, published in November 2003, contains data based on the financial year April 2002 to March 2003. Copies are also available in the Library of the House.

Government Estate (Sustainable Development)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what arrangements his Department has to report publicly on its key sustainable development impacts under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Phil Hope: All sustainable development impacts under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate (SDiG) of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's estate will be publicly reported in its Greening Operations Annual Report which will be placed both on the ODPM and the SDiG websites.
	A report for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's estates first full year of operation is presently with specialist consultants for independent verification and will be published shortly. The data for 2003–04 is being collated and it is expected that a report will be published in October 2004.
	Since November 2002, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has monitored Departments' performance against the Framework targets in the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports (http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/index.htm). The Second Annual report, published in November 2003, contains data based on the financial year April 2002 to March 2003. Copies are also available in the Library of the House.

Green Belt

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what arrangements he has in place to protect the greenbelt from developers purchasing agricultural land and then selling it in smaller amounts without planning permission.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a statement on 19 April 2004, Official Report, columns 3–4 WS setting out the measures we are taking, and some we have considered, for dealing with the sale of subdivided agricultural land. Officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister met representatives of local planning authorities last October and again in June to hear their views. We are considering carefully the suggestions made and what further action may be necessary.

Housing Standards

Sally Keeble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what timescale he has set for the review of overcrowding standards.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister hopes to launch a consultation in October and announce conclusions from the review as early as possible in the new year. Any proposals for regulations under the provision inserted in the Housing Bill at Commons Report Stage will of course be subject to Royal Assent.

Use Classes Order

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he proposes to implement the changes in the Use Classes Order regarding bars, restaurants and the late night economy.

Keith Hill: The proposed changes to the Use Classes Order give rise to a need to amend the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development Order) 1995. Statutory Instruments amending the Use Classes Order and the General Permitted Development Order are currently being prepared. The changes to both Orders will come into force at the same time. Supporting guidance in the form of a circular instruction will be published at the same time. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects this to happen before the end of the summer.

Local Government Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received regarding levels of council tax in Herefordshire.

Nick Raynsford: Over the last few months the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a large volume of correspondence about council tax, some covering specific local authorities and others concerning the council tax system in general. Any further analysis of this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Travel

David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department and its predecessors spent on ministerial travel by (a) car, (b) train, (c) aeroplane and (d) helicopter, in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: My hon. Friend the Member for Paisley South has asked Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of Ministerial vehicles provided to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	Information on expenditure on ministerial travel by non-GCDA car, train, aeroplane and helicopter is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Mobile Phone Operators

Richard Spring: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make it a statutory requirement for mobile telephone network operators to adhere to the guidance offered in the Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the Government's efforts to encourage mobile phone network operators to implement the guidance offered in the Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development.

Keith Hill: The Government has no current plans to make it a statutory requirement for mobile telephone network operators to adhere to the guidance offered in the Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development
	The mobile network operators and local planning authorities are well aware of the importance the Government attaches to the observance of the best practice guidance set out in the Code. Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister meet regularly with the Mobile Operators Association to discuss a range of issues including the operators' progress in meeting their commitments to improved local consultation. We have asked the mobile network operators that in commissioning the second independent review of their Ten Commitments they extend the scope of that review to include their observance of the Code. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is commissioning a study to assess the impact that the Code has had more widely since its introduction and how it is perceived by local authorities and the public.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible have been (a) established and (b) abolished since 1997.

Phil Hope: Since the establishment of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2002, (a) three executive non-departmental public bodies and one advisory non-departmental public body have been established, and (b) one executive non-departmental public body and one advisory non-departmental public body have been wound up.

PFI (Environmental Sustainability)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage.

Phil Hope: Private Finance Initiative (PFI) should only be used where it represents the best possible procurement route based on a rigorous assessment of value for money—risks involved in the procurement are placed with the best party able to manage them, therefore, ensuring value for money.
	By integrating the design, build and operational aspects into a single financial package, PFI helps to encourage greater efficiency, including energy efficiency, over the whole life of the contract.
	The long term and integrated nature of PFI contracts incentivises the contractors to consider the synergies between the design of an asset and its ultimate operating costs. This can result in the delivery of public services in a more environmentally sensitive way and without an additional price tag.
	In addition, the viability of a PFI project is assessed against a number of criteria, including sustainable development where projects must 'demonstrate an integrated approach to the social, environmental and economic well-being of the area, now and for future generations'. This is a key component in deciding whether or not a PFI scheme should be pursued.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published detailed guidance "Green Public Private Partnerships" in 2002 in conjunction with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and other Government Departments for anyone developing or managing a Public Private Partnerships/Private Finance Initiative (PPP/PFI) scheme. This explained the need to take seriously environmental issues and how best to reflect environmental considerations in the objectives of PPP/PFI schemes, and provided practical help and advice.

PFI (Environmental Sustainability)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of (a) the sustainability and environmental impacts of private finance initiative projects and (b) the capacity of the private finance initiative process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects.

Phil Hope: The long term and integrated nature of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts incentivises the contractors to consider the synergies between the design of an asset and its ultimate operating costs. This can result in the delivery of public services in a more environmentally sensitive way and without an additional price tag.
	PFI projects have demonstrated that investing to deliver environmental improvements can secure not only best value for money through lower running costs but also health and social benefits such as better working conditions. The adoption of green outputs can also help to accelerate the development and take-up of green technologies.

PFI (Environmental Sustainability)

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to make private finance initiative contracts more accountable and transparent in terms of environmental sustainability.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister requests that Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects share design specifications of projects with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) who work with public bodies to improve the design of public buildings, which includes looking at the environmental impact of building design.

Planning Guidance (Satellite Dishes)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue new planning guidance on regulations for the number of satellite dishes applying to residential homes to give discretion to local planning authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consulted last year on changes to the planning regulations for satellite dishes and other antennas. We expect to make an announcement on the way forward in due course, after which we will bring forward revised regulations and updated guidance.
	The regulations provide for the specific number, size and location of satellite dish antennas which can be erected without the need for planning permission. However, it is open to those who wish to have additional dishes to make a planning application in the usual way.

Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission concerning the definition of convincing evidence in paragraph 7.14 of the explanatory memorandum to the Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Neither Ministers nor officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have had any such discussions.

Rent Arrears

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will amend the Housing Act 1988 to give county courts discretion not to make an order for possession under mandatory Ground 8, Schedule 2, if the rent arrears are a consequence of a delay or failure in payment of housing benefit.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to amend Ground 8 of Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The Department of Work and Pensions has introduced a range of housing benefit reforms that are improving the performance of local authorities in administering housing benefit. The average time taken to process housing benefit claims in 2003–04 was 49 days compared to 55 days in 2002–03.

Skew Bridge Roadworks

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discretion Salisbury District Council has to reduce (a) council tax and (b) business rates in recognition of disruption to domestic and business life caused by roadworks at Skew Bridge on the A36 (T) at Salisbury.

Nick Raynsford: Salisbury district council has power to offer locally defined council tax discounts under section 13 A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (which was inserted by section 76 of the Local Government Act 2003) and hardship relief from non domestic rates under section 49(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

West Yorkshire Fire Authority

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding was made available for the West Yorkshire Fire Authority (a) in 2004–05 and (b) in each of the last nine years.

Nick Raynsford: West Yorkshire Fire Authority reported receiving the following grants in 2004–05 and in each of the last nine years as follows:
	
		£000
		
			  Amount of grant 
		
		
			 1995–96 43,234 
			 1996–97 44,809 
			 1997–98 47,748 
			 1998–99 49,121 
			 1999–2000 50,439 
			 2000–01 50,883 
			 2001–02 53,250 
			 2002–03 54,631 
			 2003–04 56,362 
			 2004–05 59,545

West Yorkshire Fire Authority

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many firefighters were employed by the West Yorkshire Fire Authority (a) in 2004–05 and (b) in each of the last nine years.

Nick Raynsford: The most recent information is at 31 March 2004.
	The information requested is set out below:
	
		Number of firefighters in West Yorkshire
		
			 Year(2) Wholetime Retained Total 
		
		
			 1995 1,787 165 1,952 
			 1996 1,756 181 1,937 
			 1997 1,739 180 1,919 
			 1998 1,727 179 1,906 
			 1999 1,723 177 1,900 
			 2000 1,680 173 1,853 
			 2001 1,683 169 1,852 
			 2002 1,660 163 1,823 
			 2003 1,678 159 1,837 
			 2004 1,658 165 1,823 
		
	
	(2) Data refer to workforce as at 31 March except for 1995, where data refer to 1 January.

PRIME MINISTER

Commission for Africa

Tom Clarke: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment the Commission for Africa has made of the potential for the use of revenue from energy resources for combating poverty in Africa.

Tony Blair: The Commission for Africa will examine ways of combating poverty including improving the efficient, transparent and fair management and use of revenues from natural resources. It will report next year.

European Constitution

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish, before the Summer Adjournment, the draft of any Bill necessary to come into force prior to ratification of any treaty establishing a constitution of the European Union; and if he will indicate prior to that date what opportunities each House will have to consider the merits of each article or part of that treaty before its ratification.

Tony Blair: The Bill to give effect to the treaty cannot be published until after the treaty has been finalised and signed. Signature is currently planned for the autumn.
	Parliament has had many opportunities to consider the text of the treaty during the negotiations, for example through Select Committees, Standing Committees and debates on the floor of the House. It will have further opportunities when considering the Bill.

Honours System

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects Sir Hayden Phillip's review of the honours system to report to him.

Tony Blair: Sir Hayden Phillips' review of the honours system will be published shortly.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister if he will give an undertaking that efforts will be made to bring to justice those responsible for the murders of British service personnel and civilians in Iraq.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement on 8 July 2004, Official Report, columns 48–49WS, by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Hoon).

Mr. Tom Kelly

Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 28 April 2004, Official Report, column 885, on Mr. Tom Kelly, on what date the family of the late Dr. David Kelly accepted the apology of his official spokesman for making derogatory remarks after Dr. Kelly's death.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add on this issue.

Racism

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what safeguards are in place to ensure that Ministers do not inadvertently attend meetings or send messages to meetings where racist or anti-semitic individuals are platform speakers.

Tony Blair: The Ministerial Code provides guidance to Ministers on how they should undertake their official duties. As the Code makes clear, it is for individual Ministers to account for their decisions and actions.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the study on combined heat and power potential due for release in January 2004.

Elliot Morley: We expect to be in a position to publish this study shortly.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will publish details of the Combined Heat and Power Quality Improvement Programme mentioned in the CHP Strategy.

Elliot Morley: As stated in "The Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010", which we published on 26 April of this year, a Quality Improvement programme will be developed to make use of the performance assessments of CHP schemes carried out under the CHP Quality Assurance programme. In common with the other measures set out in the strategy that have not yet been implemented, this programme is currently in development.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the Government propose to close the shortfall in capacity between the 8.1 GWe central projection in the Combined Heat and Power Strategy and the 10 GWe target.

Elliot Morley: The figure of 8.1 GWe is the central projection within a range of 7.7–9.4 GWe, which mainly allows for uncertainties over gas and electricity price movements. This does not take account of either the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme or the CHP measures in the Energy White Paper, which are at too early a stage of development to quantify fully. The support measures set out in "The Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010", which we published on 26 April of this year, are expected to contribute around 1.9 GWe to achievement of the 10 GWe target and we are confident that by working in close partnership with industry we can help CHP realize its full potential in the low carbon economy of the future.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she estimates the Government will achieve the 2000 combined heat and power target of 5 GWe.

Elliot Morley: I anticipate that the figure of 5 GWe of installed Good Quality CHP capacity will be achieved this year.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what measures suggested by respondents to the 2002 Draft Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Strategy were included in the Government's final CHP Strategy;
	(2)  what new measures to promote combined heat and power (CHP) have been announced by the Government in the CHP Strategy.

Elliot Morley: The responses to the May 2002 CHP Strategy consultation fed into the Energy White Paper and the final CHP Strategy. The new measures announced since the Strategy consultation include:
	a 15 per cent. target for Government Departments to use CHP generated electricity;
	reviewing the power station consent guidance to ensure the opportunities for CHP are fully considered; and
	field trials to evaluate the benefits of micro-CHP.
	The full range of measures to support CHP are set out in the final strategy.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how the Government are encouraging other parts of the public sector to adopt the combined heat and power (CHP) targets similar to its announcement of a 15 per cent. target for Government Departments;
	(2)  if she will list the (a) Departments and (b) buildings which are included within the Government's target of 15 per cent. combined heat and power use within the Government estate.

Elliot Morley: The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government estate covers central Government Departments and their Executive Agencies (see following table). It does not cover non-departmental public bodies and other associated bodies, the devolved Administrations, or local authorities. Departments are responsible for the promotion of sustainable development to their associate bodies and many public bodies are already taking a lead on sustainable development issues. It is anticipated that Departments will promote the framework to their non-departmental public bodies and other associate bodies and further encourage development of strategies for target setting, performance improvement and reporting along the lines set out in the framework. For further information, please see http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/index.htm.
	
		Government Departments and their agencies(3)
		
			 Name of Department Executive agency 
		
		
			 1. Ministry of Defence 1. Army Base Repair Organisation 2. Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency 3. Army Personnel Centre 4. Army Training and Recruiting Agency 5. British Forces Post Office 6. Defence Analytical Services Agency 7. Defence Aviation Repair Agency 8. Defence Bills Agency 9. Defence Dental Agency 10. Defence Estates 11. Defence Evaluation and Research Agency 12. Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency 13. Defence Housing Executive 14. Defence Intelligence and Security Centre 15. Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) 16. Defence Medical Education and Training Agency 17. Defence Medical Training Organisation 18. Defence Procurement Agency 19. Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 20. Defence Vetting Agency 21. Disposal Services Agency 22. Duke of York's Royal Military School 23. Met Office 24. Ministry of Defence Police 25. Naval Manning Agency 26. Naval Recruiting and Training Agency 27. Pay and Personnel Agency 28. Queen Victoria School 29. RAF Training Group Defence Agency 30. RAF Personnel Management Agency 31. Service Children's Education 32. United Kingdom National Codification Bureau 33. United Kingdom Hydrographic Office 34. Veterans Agency 
			 2. The Cabinet Office Government Car and Despatch Agency 
			 3. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Wilton Park 
			 4. Department of Health 1. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency 2. NHS Estates 3. NHS Pensions Agency 4. Purchasing and Supply Agency 
			 5. Office of Deputy Prime Minister 1. Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEII) 2. Fire Service College 3. Planning Inspectorate 4. Rent Officer Service 5. Ordnance Survey 
			 6. Department for Transport 1. Driving Standards Agency (DSA)  2. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)  3. Highways Agency (HA) 4. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) 5. Vehicle Certification Agency (VGA) 6. Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) 
			 7. Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1. Central Science Laboratory 2. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 3. Pesticides Safety Directorate 4. Rural Payments Agency 5. Veterinary Laboratories Agency 6. Veterinary Medicines Directorate 
			 8. Department for Education and Skills  
			 9. Department for Work and Pensions 1. Appeals Service Agency 2. Child Support Agency 3. Jobcentre Plus 
			 10. Department for Culture, Media and Sport Royal Parks 
			 11. Department for International Development  
			 12. Department of Trade and Industry 1. Companies House 2. Employment Tribunals Service 3. Insolvency Service 4. National Weights and Measures Laboratory 5. Patent Office 6. Radiocommunications Agency 7. Small Business Service 
			 13. Home Office 1. Forensic Science Service 2. HM Prison Service 3. Passports and Records Agency 
			 14. HM Treasury 1. National Savings and Investments 2. UK Debt Management Office 
			 15. Board of the Inland Revenue The Valuation Office Agency 
			 16. HM Customs and Excise  
			 17. Export Credits Guarantee Department  
			 18. Department for Constitutional Affairs 1. Court Service 2. Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Forces 3. The Public Guardianship Office 
			 19. Law Officers  
			 20. Treasury Solicitor's Department  
			 21. Serious Fraud Office  
			 22. Crown Prosecution Service  
			 23. Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers  
			 24. Office for National Statistics  
		
	
	(3) Taken from the Civil Service Yearbook (online version) http://www.civil-service.co.uk/content/deDt/ministerslist.asp.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how the Government will emphasise the benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) and community heating in planning and sustainable guidance, as mentioned in the CHP Strategy;
	(2)  what work has been undertaken to invite the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust to review current and future programmes to ensure they reinforce delivery of the combined heat and power target.

Elliot Morley: Emphasising the benefits of CHP and community heating in planning and sustainable guidance plus the Energy Saving Trust and Carbon Trust reviewing current and future programmes to ensure they reinforce delivery of the CHP target were among the support measures set out in "The Governments Strategy for CHP to 2010", which we published on 26 April of this year. The delivery of both measures is an ongoing process and we are working closely with other parts of government and both trusts to continue to deliver them.

Combined Heat and Power

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will publish the calculations relating to the estimate of 100–400MWe of combined heat and power capacity brought online as a result of the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme;
	(2)  what work has been undertaken on a framework for pilot projects within the UK Emissions Trading Scheme for which combined heat and power projects may be eligible.

Elliot Morley: The range of 100–400MWe was estimated on the basis of sensitivities to financial incentives implied by the Cambridge Econometrics 2003 remodelling of Good Quality CHP capacity. That model was the source of the central projection of 8.1GWe by 2010 contained in "The Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010", which we published on 26 April of this year. The remodelling is available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/environment/energyefficiency/chpreport.pdf.
	The Energy White Paper included a support measure for CHP via a pilot project entry route into the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. This was overtaken by European Commission's proposal to link projects into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which will now take precedence over the UK scheme.

Accountancy Advice

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts have been let by her Department in each financial year since 2001–02 to (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte and Touche, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young for advising her Department on private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts; and what fees were paid in each case.

Alun Michael: From analysis of information held centrally, no contracts have been let and fees paid by the Department in each financial year since 2001–02 to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte and Touche, KPMG and Ernst and Young for advice on private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts.

Aquaculture

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Norwegian companies and operators are engaged in aquaculture in the United Kingdom; and how many people, in full-time equivalents, are employed by those companies.

Ben Bradshaw: Data on the nationality of companies or individuals involved in aquaculture and their number is not available and we have no means of obtaining it. However, we estimate that Norwegian owned interests have a considerable share of salmon production.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bovine TB reactor animals slaughtered in the last five years have subsequently been confirmed to have contracted the disease.

Ben Bradshaw: Bovine tuberculosis is confirmed either by finding visible lesions during slaughterhouse examination, or by the subsequent successful laboratory culture of samples for Mycobacterium bovis (the causative organism for bovine tuberculosis). Failure to confirm the disease does not mean that TB was not present, or that the animal had not been in contact with M. bovis. It is important to remember that the intention is to confirm disease in a herd, not each individual animal, so that the testing regime for the herd can be tailored accordingly. Once disease has been confirmed in a herd, it is not necessary to refer samples for laboratory culture in every case.
	The following table presents the number of bovine TB reactor animals slaughtered and the number of those confirmed at post-mortem (either at slaughterhouse examination or laboratory culture) to have TB, in each of the last five years.
	
		Table: TB reactors slaughtered and confirmed
		
			   Reactor animals slaughtered 1 Slaughtered reactors confirmed at post-mortem to have TB 2 
		
		
			 1999 5,908 2,835 
			 2000 7,032 3,636 
			 2001 5,347 2,332 
			 2002(6) 19,901 6,963 
			 2003(6) 20,114 6,278 
		
	
	(4) Data taken from National Statistics, published on 23 June 2004.
	(5) Data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service database on 24 June 2004.
	(6) Provisional data. Subject to change as more data becomes available.
	Note:
	In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. Since testing resumed in 2002, resources have been concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds being tested post-FMD is greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of TB reactors identified and slaughtered since 2002 is not comparable to those identified and slaughtered in previous years.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the tuberculin skin test for bovine TB is a validated test; and whether the test can distinguish (a) infected animals, (b) immune animals and (c) animals that have a hypersensitivity to the test.

Ben Bradshaw: The tuberculin skin test is the official diagnostic test for bovine TB sanctioned by both the European Union and the OIE (the world organisation for animal health). This test, like most "in vivo" diagnostic tests for infectious diseases, detects an immune response by the host against the infectious agent (Mycobacterium bovis) rather than the infectious agent itself.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the statutory basis for her Department's current policies for the control of bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: The domestic legislation which provides for the notification of disease, compulsory testing, slaughter, valuation and compensation, and restriction of the movement of affected herds is set out in the Tuberculosis Orders (listed as follows), which are made under the Animal Health Act 1981.
	The Tuberculosis (England and Wales) Order 1984 SI number 1943 as amended.
	The Brucellosis and Tuberculosis (England and Wales) Compensation Order 1978 SI number 1483 as amended.
	The Tuberculosis (Deer) Order 1989 as amended.
	The Tuberculosis (Deer) Notice of Intended Slaughter and Compensation Order 1989.
	The requirements for routine testing of cattle for TB are set out in EC Council Directive 64/432/EEC. This Directive deals with animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine. This has been amended and updated, most recently by Commission Regulation EC/1226/02. Annex A sets out the criteria for maintaining Officially Tuberculosis-Free status, and Annex B lays down the procedures for carrying out the testing regime.
	Also relevant is The Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what symptoms of bovine TB in an individual animal oblige the owner of that animal to report the possible presence of a notifiable disease.

Ben Bradshaw: The Tuberculosis (England and Wales) Order 1984 (as amended) defines an "affected animal" as "a cow which is affected by tuberculosis of the udder or is giving tuberculous milk, or a bovine animal which is affected with tuberculous emaciation, or is excreting or discharging tuberculous material, or is affected with a chronic cough and shows clinical signs of tuberculosis, and includes a reactor". It then states that a "suspected animal" shall be construed accordingly.
	In practice, clinical signs are not very specific, and clinical TB is not common nowadays because of the testing programme. This means that, in most cases, suspected cases in non-reactor cattle are notified by veterinary surgeons, usually after being summoned to a "poorly" animal by the owner.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's current policy for the control of bovine TB; and whether that policy is intended to (a) contain, (b) control and (c) eradicate the disease.

Ben Bradshaw: The current strategy for controlling bovine TB in Great Britain consists of five points, based upon the recommendations of the Krebs Report (1997):
	1. Protecting Public Health
	2. Developing an effective vaccine
	3. Research into how the disease is spread
	4. Cattle Testing and Controls
	5. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial
	This policy is successful in that the risk to human health remains low. However, the long term trend has been an increase in the incidence and the geographical spread of TB in cattle. The costs to industry and the taxpayer are also increasing. We need to apply to bovine TB the principles agreed in the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy—establishing targets against which we can measure our performance and formal agreements for working in partnership with the farming industry.
	Evidence from other countries shows that, in the apparent absence of a significant wildlife reservoir, cattle controls along the lines of those used in Great Britain can be effective at controlling and eventually eradicating the disease according to the criteria defined in Council Directive 64/432/EEC.
	Defra completed a consultation on 4 June on both short-term measures to control the geographical spread of the disease, and a revised long-term TB Strategy for England (parallel consultations took place in Wales and Scotland). We are currently analysing the responses.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the hon. Member for West Worcestershire will receive a response to his letter to the Parliamentary Secretary for Food, Farming and Sustainable Energy of 5 May.

Alun Michael: My hon. Friend the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries replied on 8 July.

Donkeys

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many donkeys were imported into the UK in the last 12 months; and for what purposes.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not possible to provide figures for the number of donkeys that entered the UK in the last 12 months. Imports of all horses, ponies, zebras, asses, mules and donkeys are recorded simply as Equidae, in accordance with the requirements of European Community law.
	During the last 12 months a total of 9,795 equidae entered the UK:
	7,575 from the EU
	2,220 from third countries
	These equidae were imported for a variety of purposes including:
	Breeding and production
	Import of registered equidae
	Re-entry of registered horses
	Temporary admission of registered
	Import of non-registered equidae.

Donkeys

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks and controls are in place to control the importation of donkeys.

Ben Bradshaw: When equidae (including donkeys) are sent from another EU member state into Great Britain, Community law requires the Veterinary Authorities of that member state to enter the details of the movement into a Community-wide computerised messaging system, so that the member state of receipt is made aware of the movement. Community law provides for random checks by the authorities in the receiving member state at places of destination, but not at the point of import unless non-compliance is suspected. In GB these checks are carried out by the State Veterinary Service (SVS).
	Equidae may only be imported into the EU from approved third countries and are required to undergo veterinary checks at a Border Inspection Post (BIP) in the first member state of entry. All imports of equidae must have an official Export Health Certificate from the exporting country. The veterinary check consists of a documentary, identity and physical check, which may include sampling.

Donkeys

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what animal health checks are carried out on donkeys and other equidae entering the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: To be eligible for import into the UK, donkeys and all other equidae must meet the health requirements of the European Community in relation to freedom from dourine, glanders, equine encephalomyelitis, vesicular stomatitis, equine infectious anaemia, rabies and anthrax. The donkey must not have had contact with other equidae suffering from infection or contagious disease and it must be fit to be transported on the intended journey.
	In respect of movements within member states, an Official Veterinarian of the member state of origin must inspect the animal within 48 hours of export and issue an Export Health Certificate (EHC), confirming that the health requirements have been met.
	There are strict controls on the health of donkeys entering from third countries. They must enter from an approved country and must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate, this will confirm that all health requirements have been complied with.
	The EHC must be presented at the Border Inspection Post (BIP) upon arrival on EU territory. Here the animal will be subject to veterinary checks consisting of a documentary, identity and physical check, which may include sampling.

Drainage Rates

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of drainage rates paid by landowners is in each region of England.

Elliot Morley: Information on the individual level of drainage rates raised by Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) is not held centrally. The amounts collected through drainage rates paid by landowners to IDBs in 2002–03 (the last year for which we have information) were:
	
		
			 Region £ million 
		
		
			 Anglian 9.36 
			 Yorkshire 1.2 
			 Severn Trent 1 0 
			 Wessex 0.43 
			 Southern 0.3 
		
	
	As regards the Environment Agency's Anglian Region a General Drainage Charge is payable on agricultural land and buildings that are outside IDB districts. These rates differ in each area of the region but yielded a total of £3.2 million in 2002–03 the latest year for which figures are available.

Essex Local Flood Defence Committee

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Essex Local Flood Defence Committee.

Elliot Morley: In March 2003 the Government announced the intention to create a single tier of flood defence committee by abolishing the local tier which exists within three of the nine regional flood defence committee areas in England. I have now completed my consideration of the Environment Agency's proposals for new committee structures and have decided to accept their recommendations as set out in my written ministerial statement to Parliament on 1 July.
	As a result, I intend that all local flood defence committees in the Agency's Anglian Region, including the Essex LFDC, will be wound up with effect from 1 April 2005. I also intend that the present Anglian RFDC area be split to create three new RFDCs. One new RFDC would comprise the areas of the present Essex and Norfolk and Suffolk local flood defence committees; one the area of the present Great Ouse local flood defence committee; and one the area of the present Welland and Nene and Lincolnshire local flood defence committees. I also said that we would review the splitting of the current Anglian region after three years of operation.

Fisheries

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fishing rights will accrue to each of the 10 new countries that have acceded to the EU in (a) British waters and (b) the North Sea.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 July 2004
	None of the 10 new member states have fishing rights in British Waters, no other member states' fishing vessels have access to the coastal zone within six nautical miles of the UK's shoreline, and within 6–12 mile zone, access to certain fisheries in certain parts of the zone is limited to the following five member states with historical rights there: France, Belgium, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands.
	While the principle of free access in the Community's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from 12 to 200 miles offshore applies to all member states, none of the 10 new member states has been allocated quota in the North sea.

Fly-tipping

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources are being provided to tackle fly-tipping in Bath and North East Somerset.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency and local authorities have a range of powers to deal with illegally dumped waste or fly-tipping. Local authorities receive funding through the EPCS element of their block grant and will decide resource allocations according to local priorities.
	Defra has recently consulted on its Fly-Tipping Strategy and is looking at bringing forward proposals to encourage all local authorities to tackle fly-tipping with preventative policies. This should lead to cost savings as authorities focus on prevention and deterrence rather than expensive clearance.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contractors that provided goods, services and works to her Department during the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001 were investigated for fraud offences; and how many of those investigated (a) were prosecuted, (b) had the cases closed and (c) remain under investigation.

Ben Bradshaw: Seven contractors were formally investigated by Defra Investigation Branch for fraud offences arising out of services provided during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001. No prosecutions took place in relation to those seven investigations and there are no outstanding investigations or prosecutions. In Scotland one contractor remains under investigation by the Police.
	There were various allegations of fraud by contractors, farmers and others during the outbreak. 33 of these were investigated by the Defra Investigation Branch (see The National Audit Office Report "The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease" Executive Summary at page 9 (HC 939 Session 2001–2002; 21 June 2002). Six people were ultimately prosecuted by Defra for fraud offences:
	Three members of staff were prosecuted and pleaded guilty to making false subsistence claims and were ordered to complete Community punishment orders and to pay compensation to Defra totalling £5,883. All three were dismissed.
	Three farmers were prosecuted for making false compensation claims; one farmer pleaded guilty and was fined £3,500, two other farmers were acquitted. No money was obtained from Defra in these cases.
	There are no outstanding prosecutions by Defra of anyone for any offences during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001.
	There were a significant number of contractual disputes between Defra and contractors in relation to work completed during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, some of which were and continue to be the subject of legal proceedings.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to ensure that an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease can be contained.

Ben Bradshaw: The measures that the Government would take in the event of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease are set out in the Defra FMD Contingency Plan, the latest version of which was laid before Parliament at the end of March 2004. These include the immediate imposition of movement controls on all susceptible livestock, strict biosecurity requirements and enhanced options for controlling the disease. Vaccination would be considered from the outset of an outbreak in addition to the culling of all susceptible animals on infected premises and those that have been exposed to infection, as required by EU law. We are engaging with operational partners and with stakeholders to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities and the measures that would be taken in an outbreak. Plans are also in place in the event of an outbreak to enable a rapid increase in staff resources and the implementation of contingency contracts including that for vaccination. We have revised the instructions for staff and are ensuring that they are trained and equipped to deal with an outbreak of disease.
	A national exercise to test the contingency plans and the Government's preparedness was held on 29 and 30 June, involving people from across Defra, other government departments and operational partners enacting days seven and eight of an FMD outbreak. The Department will be publishing a report of the lessons learned from the exercise in the autumn and a revised Contingency Plan will be laid before Parliament next March.

Forestry Policy

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will publish its response to the report An Economic Analysis of Forestry Policy in England.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 July 2004
	As was made clear at the time the report was published on 5 June 2003, the analysis formed part of a broad review of forestry arrangements in England that was agreed as part of the Defra settlement of the Spending Review 2002. In the event, that review contributed to Lord Haskins' review of the arrangements for delivering the Government's rural policies in England, the detailed follow up to which we are working on. We do not intend to respond separately to "An Economic Analysis of Forestry Policy in England", although the report itself remains available as a valuable source of information to those interested in forestry policy inside and outside government.

Litter

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the issuing of fines for dropping litter; and what plans she has to introduce and enforce a uniform policy for the issuing of fines for dropping litter.

Alun Michael: The policy on fixed penalty notices is uniform across England as all local authorities are empowered to issue fixed penalty notices of £50 for the offence of dropping litter.
	Enforcement on the ground may differ between areas as it is for local authorities to decide whether to make use of this power. I hope that many more local authorities will use fixed penalty notices for littering now that the receipts can be used to offset the costs of enforcement.

Litter

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to provide money to local councils to help them with the cost of keeping streets clean.

Alun Michael: Local authorities receive funding for street cleansing through allocations to the Environmental Protection and Cultural Services (EPCS) block. The funding for this block will increase by over £1 billion between 2003 and 2006.

Managed Realignment Schemes

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision exists for the payment of compensation to landowners where managed realignment schemes are established.

Elliot Morley: Defra has provided flood and coastal defence operating authorities with guidance on the circumstances in which land purchase and financial compensation for managed realignment of river or coastal flood defences can be funded from the Defra flood management budget under current legislation.
	Except in limited circumstances outlined as follows, no compensation is payable to those affected by flooding or erosion, including cases where it is decided not to defend a particular area, or to undertake managed realignment. This approach, adopted by successive governments, is justified by current legislation which provides operating authorities with permissive powers to undertake flood and coastal defence works. Save for the specific requirements of the Habitats Directive there is no general obligation to build or maintain defences at all or to a particular standard. Consonant with this approach, the legislation also makes no provision for compensation from public funds to persons whose property or land is affected by erosion or flooding.
	Payment is possible where quantifiable beneficial use arises. Thus land may be acquired for the construction or maintenance of defences and compensation paid for damage arising expressly from such operations. Also, in some circumstances, where land seaward of justifiable new defences can be shown to contribute to effective defence, landowners may be eligible for payment for depreciation or loss of land. Finally, if a defence is realigned landward, land currently in agricultural use may be considered for payments under agri-environment schemes if a long-term return to inter- tidal habitat fulfils the relevant objectives.

Over-thirty-months Scheme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to modify the current over-thirty-months slaughter scheme, with particular regard to cows born before August 1996; and what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on this issue.

Ben Bradshaw: Following the FSA recommendations to change the over-thirty-month rule made in July 2003 it has been decided that cattle born before 1 August 1996 will not, in any event, be allowed into the food chain and that a modified over-thirty-month scheme will remain in place for these animals.
	The Department has convened regular discussions involving all stakeholders, including the Department of Health, which would be affected by the replacement of the OTM rule by BSE testing.

Parliamentary Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions her Department received in the 2002–03 Session.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 3 March 2004, Official Report, column 937W.

Racing Greyhounds

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what action she is taking to improve the welfare of racing greyhounds at non-National Greyhound Racing Club registered independent tracks;
	(2)  what action her Department is taking to improve the welfare of racing greyhounds;
	(3)  what action she is taking to increase retirement provision for racing greyhounds.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government plans to publish the draft Animal Welfare Bill this summer. The draft Bill seeks to introduce a duty of care which will cover all domestic and captive animals, including current and former racing greyhounds. The Bill will also allow the introduction of secondary legislation to regulate certain activities, and the welfare of racing greyhounds is a possible area for regulation. I and my officials have been discussing the implications of the Bill for greyhounds with welfare organisations, the industry and other government departments. I have found these discussions helpful and I intend to shortly make available a paper which will set out my response to the concerns that were raised.

Sea Level (Essex)

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the change in sea level off the Essex coast in each of the last 20 years.

Elliot Morley: Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) hosts the permanent service for mean sea level (a global database for longer-term sea level change on the basis of information from tide gauges). POL has made assessments of the sea level changes at Sheerness, Southend and Tilbury over the 1901–99 period. This indicates an increase in mean sea level at Sheerness (taken as representing the Essex and Kent coasts) of 20 centimetres over the 20th century, equivalent to an average rate of 4 centimetres over the last 20 years. The full figures are summarised in the United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme report "London's Warming". The full series can be found at www. pol.ac.uk/ntslf/products.

Sea Level (Essex)

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the likely change in sea level off the Essex coast over the next 20 years.

Elliot Morley: The United Kingdom report Climate Change Scenarios for the UK (April 2002) estimates sea level and land changes to the 2080s, relative to 1961–90. For Eastern England, these indicate a rise in mean sea level of 22 centimetres or 82 centimetres depending on scenario. The report can be found at www.ukcip.org.uk.
	For project appraisal purposes, Defra's current guidance to operating authorities is to include a 6 millimetre a year precautionary allowance for relative sea level rise for the Essex coast.

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requirement exists for the provision of compensatory habitat where (a) maintenance and (b) improvement of sea walls takes place.

Elliot Morley: Any requirement for compensatory habitat arising from the maintenance or improvement of sea walls will depend on whether there would be an adverse effect on a site designated under the European Birds or Habitats Directives. Detailed guidance on the appraisal of plans and projects which are likely to have a significant effect on such European sites and guidance under which compensatory measures are required, is provided in "Managing Natura 2000 sites": the provisions of Article 6 of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC" published by the European Communities in 2000. Where the maintenance or improvement of sea walls would not have an adverse effect on a European site, there would be no requirement for compensatory measures.
	There is a more general requirement on Member States under the Birds Directive to "take requisite measures to preserve, maintain or re-establish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats for all the species of birds referred to in Article 1" of the Directive. Defra is currently considering what measures the Government should take in this respect as a result of coastal squeeze (i.e. loss of inter-tidal habitat through sea level rise against sea walls).

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition is used to distinguish between the maintenance and the improvement of sea walls.

Elliot Morley: Maintenance of a sea wall maintains the current standard and structural integrity of the defence.
	Improvement of a sea wall results in an increase in the standards of protection, or major refurbishment.

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultation will take place before a decision is taken to abandon a section of sea wall.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency, in consultation with key stakeholders, will develop an exit strategy for withdrawing from the maintenance of uneconomic seawalls. Consultations will be undertaken through the development of Shoreline Management Plans and strategies.
	The exit strategy will involve informing affected landowners, occupiers of the land, and the Highways Authority of the Environment Agency's plans; providing interested parties an opportunity to make representations; advising landowners of the condition of the seawall; and informing them of their options. In many cases, seawalls for which there is no maintenance justification may have a substantial residual life.
	The Environment Agency will inform landowners and/or occupiers of the anticipated residual life, existing standard of defence and the condition of the structures at the earliest opportunity, together with any other relevant information such as their rights, responsibilities and options after the Agency stops maintenance. This information will help affected parties to deal with the change in circumstances in the most beneficial way.
	Consultation with the Highways Authority will be important to ensure that any issues associated with public rights of way are fully considered.
	Landowners will have an opportunity to make representations before a decision to stop maintaining a seawall is taken. Landowners will also be given a reasonable period of notice when a final decision is made that may affect their property.

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles of sea wall on the Essex coast have had maintenance work done on them in each of the last 20 years.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency understands that, over the last 20 years, the majority of the 275.6 miles of sea walls in Essex have had some form of maintenance work carried out on them. The Agency does not keep records for every location where maintenance work has been undertaken in any given year.

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on (a) maintenance and (b) improvement of sea walls on the Essex coast in each of the last 20 years.

Elliot Morley: The following table details the amount spent on sea walls on the Essex coast in each of the last 20 years. These figures come from the Essex Local Flood Defence Committee Annual Reports.
	
		£
		
			 Financial year (a) Maintenance work (b) Capital improvements 
		
		
			 1984–85 853 2,734 
			 1985–86 1,200 2,193 
			 1986–87 1,220 4,951 
			 1987–88 918 6,250 
			 1988–89 1,127 6,318 
			 1989–90 1,522 5,296 
			 1990–91 1,836 3,826 
			 1991–92 2,416 8,914 
			 1992–93 2,180 8,667 
			 1993–94 2,234 8,844 
			 1994–95 2,159 5,655 
			 1995–96 2,451 6,293 
			 1996–97 2,360 4,248 
			 1997–98 2,014 5,230 
			 1998–99 2,249 6,938 
			 1999/2000 1,987 4,808 
			 2000–01 1,761 2,530 
			 2001–02 1,526 3,231 
			 2002–03 2,344 3,676 
			 2003–04 2,100 3,316 
			 Total 36,457 103,918

Sea Walls

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the most recent assessment is of the state of the sea walls on the Essex coast.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has advised that in its 2003–04 assessment of flood defences in Essex, 86.6 per cent. of the 1,774 km of defences were classified as fair or better.
	This assessment does not distinguish between tidal and fluvial defences.

Squirrels

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to establish control on populations of grey squirrels; what regulations are in place on the permitted methods of despatch by landowners; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 10 June 2004
	Grey squirrels are very difficult animals to control particularly on a wide scale and it is not practical to eradicate them totally. The Forestry Commission is engaged in the preparation of a policy statement on grey squirrels. This is one of the commitments made in the response to the recommendations contained in the "Sustaining England's Woodlands" review. It will recommend appropriate strategies for managing grey squirrels in England.
	The UK red squirrel Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group (UKRSG) has identified those areas of the UK where action to maintain red squirrels is most likely to be effective in the long-term. In northern England, these priorities are being translated into management plans for key forest areas, where it is believed a combination of large-scale habitat management in forests and buffer areas allied to surveillance and targeted grey squirrel control gives the red squirrel the best chance of survival.
	The Forestry Commission provides current Best Practice guidance on the control of grey squirrel populations. The methods currently available are the use of Warfarin poison for protection against bark stripping damage to woodlands, where there are no red squirrels or pine martens. This is regulated under 'The Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986'. The use of Warfarin for plant protection is currently under review by the Plant Protection Directorate of the EU, and there is a risk that it may not be available for use in the future.
	Cage trapping is as effective as poisoning at removing squirrels but more costly in terms of labour. Failing to check traps regularly may be an offence under the 'Protection of Animals Act 1911', and the 'Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996' .
	Spring traps (tunnel traps) may be used to take squirrels, but there is an increased risk to non-target species. The use of Spring traps is regulated under the Pests Act 1954, and only traps approved under the 'Spring Traps (Approval) Order may be used.
	Shooting is generally ineffective at reducing numbers sufficiently to prevent bark-stripping damage, but can be effective for removal of nuisance squirrels, for example in amenity areas.
	The regulations on the permitted methods of dispatch include the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which lists prohibited methods. Under Schedule 9, Section 14 of the Act it is an offence to release grey squirrels into the wild.
	Options for non-lethal control are not currently practicable for squirrels, however the Forestry Commission is keeping them under review.

Urban Foxes

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the urban fox population in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not routinely collate data on the levels of urban fox populations, but commissions research into the subject from time to time. There have been a number of fox population estimates, the most generally accepted being that produced by Harris "et al" (1995), who estimated that in Britain there are 240,000 adult foxes at the start of the breeding season, and that these produce around 425,000 cubs each spring. Of these, 33,000 adult foxes (14 per cent.) live in urban areas. The total pre-breeding population in England is 195,000 adults, 22,000 in Wales and 23,000 in Scotland.
	The paucity of population data for this species in rural habitats makes it particularly difficult to produce a population estimate. The fox population estimate for urban areas, in contrast, is based on more extensive data, and Harris "et al" (1995) considered it to be more reliable than that for rural areas.

Wye Valley

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of grant will be awarded to the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and how much will be awarded to the (a) English side and (b) Welsh side.

Ben Bradshaw: The total grant to the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for 2004–05 will be £142,789.47 of which (a) £91,384.47 will be awarded by the Countryside Agency for the English side and (b) £51,405 will be awarded by the Countryside Council for Wales for the Welsh side.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcohol

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects Ofcom will report on its review of alcohol advertising; what (a) guidance and (b) instruction (i) she and (ii) her Department (A) has provided and (B) will be providing about the review and its remit; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The Department has discussed with Ofcom the recommendations of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England—published by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit—and they have confirmed that they are considering these issues as part of their review of the rules on broadcast advertising for alcoholic drinks. Ofcom are considering the adequacy of the current rules in the light both of academic research and specially commissioned studies; I understand that they intend to consult on any proposed changes this summer. The Department has been briefed on progress with this work but the content of the Codes remains Ofcom's responsibility.

Departmental Administration Costs

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's forecast rise in administration costs for 2005–06.

Richard Caborn: The Department's administration cost limit rises from £46 million in 2004–05 to £49 million in 2005–06. This increase reflects additional activities the Department faces. These include, among others, the broadcasting reviews, the Licensing Act, the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill, a Gambling Bill if legislative time can be found. All of these activities need to be specifically resourced both while they are in progress and to deal with any subsequent action arising from them.
	The Department also faces some additional accommodation costs and plans to make further investment in IT to ensure that as many services as possible can be provided electronically.

Departmental Administration Costs

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 46W, for what reasons the information provided on her Department's planned administrative costs for 2004–05 and 2005–06 was not included in her Department's annual review.

Richard Caborn: When the Annual Review was compiled, no estimate had been made of the breakdown between pay and non-pay costs. The figures for administration costs in 2004–05 and 2005–06 at page 69 of the Review are simply the Department's administration cost limits.

English Heritage/Heritage Lottery Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will publish the report of consultants examining the scope for merging English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether she plans to separate the operational responsibilities of English Heritage from its role as a regulator, funder and provider of advice; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment has been undertaken of the responsibilities of different heritage organisations reporting to her Department; if she will place this in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: We commissioned PKF to review the structure of Government support for the historic environment in England. Their report focused on the options for a possible change in the relationship between English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The report will shortly be available on the DCMS website www.culture.gov.uk. I am arranging for copies of the report to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
	We have accepted its overall conclusion that while there is no business case for a merger of English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, there is scope for substantial savings from rationalisation of shared functions. We are considering next steps with English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund in light of the report.

Means-tested Benefits

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the means-tested benefits available through her Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now.

Richard Caborn: There are no means-tested benefits available through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, nor were any available in May 1997.
	The only means-tested benefit available through the Department's sponsored bodies is the 'World Class Performance Programme' which is now run by Sport England and UK Sport. This benefit was also available in May 1997 but was solely administered by Sport England as UK Sport was not established as a Lottery Distributor until 1 July 1999.

National Lottery

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to (a) identify and (b) reduce the number of Lottery retailers who are selling Lottery products to under 16-year-olds.

Estelle Morris: Camelot have in place a number of measures, agreed with the National Lottery Commission. These include an extensive test-purchasing programme, in which Lottery tickets are bought by 16-year-olds who look younger. During the second licence period Camelot have committed to undertaking 10,000 test purchases a year (twice the number in the first licence period). Camelot also work with trading standards officers, and will suspend the use of Lottery terminals where retailers have sold Lottery products to under age players. Camelot also provides retailers with training on preventing underage play and display materials to reinforce the message; and runs a hotline enabling the public to report concerns about possible cases of unauthorised sales.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible have been (a) established and (b) abolished since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The following non-departmental public bodies have been established:
	Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
	Film Council (now known as UK Film Council)
	Football Task Force
	National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
	National Lottery Commission (which took over the role of regulating the National Lottery from the Office of the National Lottery, a non-ministerial department)
	Millennium Commission
	New Opportunities Fund
	New Millennium Experience Company Ltd.
	The Regional Cultural Consortiums:
	Culture North East (North East Cultural Consortium)
	East Midlands Cultural Consortium
	Living East (East of England Cultural Consortium)
	North West Cultural Consortium
	South East England Cultural Consortium
	South West Regional Cultural Consortium
	West Midlands Life Cultural Consortium
	Yorkshire Cultural Consortium
	Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries (now known as Museums, Libraries and Archives Council)
	Spoliation Advisory Panel
	Treasure Valuation Committee
	Working Group on Human Remains
	The following has taken on NDPB status:
	Historic Royal Palaces (formerly an Executive Agency)
	The following non-departmental public bodies have been abolished:
	Broadcasting Standards Commission
	Football Task Force
	Great Britain Sports Council
	Library and Information Commission
	Museums and Galleries Commission
	New Millennium Experience Company Ltd.
	The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
	Royal Fine Art Commission
	Historical Manuscripts Commission (the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts) (became part of National Archives)
	Working Group on Human Remains
	The following organisations still exist but no longer have non-departmental public body status:
	Craft Council
	British Film Institute
	National Film and Television School
	In addition to the above, the Community Fund (formerly known as the National Lotteries Charities Board) and New Opportunities Fund remain separate legal entities but have now administratively merged to form the Big Lottery Fund. Both the United Kingdom Sports Council (operating name: UK Sport) and the English Sports Council (operating name: Sport England) were established by Royal Charter in 1996 and came into being on 1 January 1997 (replacing the GB Sports Council). Functions of the English Tourism Council and the British Tourist Authority (BTA) were merged to form VisitBritain and the England Marketing Advisory Board (EMAB) was formed to advise VisitBritain. VisitBritain is established by statute as the BTA and EMAB as the English Tourist Board.
	The Department has taken on sponsorship responsibility from the Home Office for the following:
	Alcohol Education and Research Council
	Gaming Board for Great Britain
	Horserace Betting Levy Board
	Horserace Betting Levy Board

Obesity

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she next plans to meet (a) the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and (b) the Secretary of State for Health to discuss tackling the problem of obesity in school children; and whether her Department is taking the lead on this issue.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular meetings with both the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the Secretary of State for Health. The complex issue of obesity is being tackled right across Government through the Choosing Health? consultation which will inform the development of a White Paper on Public Health, due for publication later this year. The process is being led by the Department of Health and overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Public Health.

Olympic Games

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total budget is for ministerial visits to the Athens Olympic Games.

Richard Caborn: No specific budget has been allocated for DCMS ministerial visits to the Athens Olympic Games. Costs will be met from the existing DCMS Travel and Subsistence budget for the financial year of 2004–2005.
	All DCMS ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Olympic Games

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what class of ticket (a) Ministers and (b) officials will use to visit the Athens Olympic Games.

Richard Caborn: All DCMS ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. DCMS Ministers and officials will travel by business class.

WALES

Chernobyl

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment the Government have made of the impact on human health of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.

Don Touhig: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) provides information and advice to persons, including Government Departments, in relation to the protection of the community or particular sections of the community from radiation hazards.
	The National Public Health Service Wales works closely with the NRPB to address such health issues and provide support to Local Health Boards to work with communities when concerns relating to the health of the local population arise.
	The Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE) has been reviewing the risk models relating to the inhalation or ingestion of radioactivity, and as part of its review has considered the international epidemiological research on health effects arising from the Chernobyl incident. CERRIE is expected to publish its report in the autumn. It will be considered by the UK expert Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) who will then advise the UK Government.

EU Structural Funding

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the amount of EU Structural Funding in Wales that remains unspent in the 2000 to 2006 spending programme.

Don Touhig: At the end of May 2004, nearly £900 million of structural funds had been committed in Wales, representing nearly 57 per cent. of the total allocation for 2000–06. The total grant paid was £440 million.

EU Structural Funding

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on the implementation process of the 2000 to 2006 EU Structural Funding programme in Wales.

Don Touhig: Not all the costs of implementing the programmes are held centrally, therefore an accurate figure is not available. The administration of the structural fund programmes in Wales is devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. The programmes are delivered on a partnership basis, involving a large number of key stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

EU Structural Funding

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the contribution of the 2000 to 2006 EU structural funding programme to the gross domestic product of Wales.

Don Touhig: The latest GDP figures for Wales are for 2002. As the structural fund programmes are long-term programmes, projects can be approved until 2006 and funds can be drawn down until December 2008. It is therefore far too early to be able to measure the impact of the structural fund programmes on GDP.
	However, to the end of May 2004, more than 62,000 jobs were created or safeguarded by structural funds in Wales.

Ministerial Air Travel

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each year since the office's creation the number of miles flown by each Minister in the office on official departmental business.

Don Touhig: We are unable to provide this information, as the Wales Office does not record it and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2003–04 is currently being assembled and will be published shortly. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Pay Differentials

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister for Women what recent assessment she has made of the pay differential between women and men in Greater London.

Patricia Hewitt: The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the pay differential between women and men working full-time in Greater London was 23.5 per cent. in 2003, which was a decrease of 0.7 per cent. from 2002. The pay differential between women working part-time and men working full-time in Greater London was 46.3 per cent. in 2003—a decrease of 2.5 per cent. from 2002.

TRANSPORT

Airports

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the guidance given to Nottingham East Midlands airport on (a) the preparation of its master plan and (b) the consultation process which would follow its publication.

Tony McNulty: The Department has today published guidance for airport operators on the preparation of master plans. It is of general application, and there is no specific guidance to the operator of Nottingham East Midlands airport. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the House Library and will also be available on the Department's website, at www.dft.gov.uk.

Devolution

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend transport powers to (a) passenger transport authorities and (b) the proposed directly elected regional assemblies.

Tony McNulty: The transport powers of elected regional assemblies were set out in the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (Cm5511). In his announcement to Parliament on the rail review on 19 January 2004, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said that we would consider devolving more decisions on public transport—including rail—to devolved authorities and at a regional level to PTEs. The Government hope to announce the conclusions of the rail review shortly.

Mobile Telephones

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on making the use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving an endorsable offence;
	(2)  when he intends bringing forward legislation to make the use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving an endorsable offence.

David Jamieson: Ministers in the Department regularly meet their colleagues. The Government are committed to making the use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving an endorsable offence. We will amend Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 when a suitable legislative opportunity arises.

Mobile Telephones

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of compliance by drivers with the legislation forbidding the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.

David Jamieson: A survey carried out in April 2004 found that 1.2 per cent. of car drivers and 2.1 per cent. of other drivers were using hand-held phones. This indicates that the use of hand-held mobile phones by car drivers has dropped by 21 per cent. and for other drivers by 22 per cent. since the new offence came into force on 1 December 2003.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Support Agencies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent on business support agencies in the last year.

Nigel Griffiths: The main business support agencies DTI directly funds are the Business Link Operators (BLOs) who provide services to small businesses.
	In 2003–04 BLOs received Core Services grants from the Small Business Service totalling £139.5 million.
	Most BLOs sub-contract the delivery of key services to Enterprise Agencies and other service deliverers as do other Government Departments, RDAs, and local authorities. European funds are also available in certain areas. The level of funding varies from BLO to BLO based on local needs, priorities and access to additional funding streams. The SBS does not systematically collect information on the level of service provision sub-contracted by BLOs.

Carbon Sequestration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the cost and practicalities of introducing a viable method of delivering in respect of carbon sequestration; how much her Department has spent on investigating this concept; and whether gains made from this process would count towards the United Kingdom's carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 8 July 2004
	The DTI and Defra have collaborated in work on Carbon Sequestration.
	The Cleaner Fossil Fuel Unit of the DTI has undertaken a number of studies to assess the feasibility of Carbon Capture and Storage in the UK. The accumulation of this work was a report published in September 2003 that provides estimates of the costs of carbon sequestration and discusses the issues around its implementation. The report and its supporting documentation are available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/coal/cfft/co2capture. The work has been completed using effort from a combination of DTI officials and contractors (the estimated cost of the latter is £600,000).
	The Marine and Waterways Division of Defra is concerned to protect the marine environment by ensuring that carbon sequestration in the maritime area is properly regulated. In 2003 Defra commissioned a literature review of research findings relevant to understanding the environmental impacts of release of sequestered CO 2 into the marine environment. Gaps in knowledge were identified and further research is planned. (Value £24,611.) A joint Defra/DTI seminar was held in October 2003 to help develop the UK's policy on the regulation of this activity and to enable OSPAR to decide what work, if any, it needed to do on this subject. (Cost to Defra £2,100). A summary of the report and information about the seminar can be found on Defra's website.
	Work in the form of continuing discussions at OSPAR, The London Convention and the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum is ongoing.
	The use of carbon capture and storage would count towards the United Kingdom's Kyoto target provided the methods used had been subjected to international review and accepted by the UNFCCC review process. Methods are currently under consideration by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Defence Diversification

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on defence diversification, with particular reference to the extension of military expertise into civilian use through funding of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	In line with wider Government policy to maximise the commercial application of technology from all sources, the Ministry of Defence continues to support defence diversification, including by investment in developing new technology in its supplier base and the establishment of new collaborative partnerships with industry and academia through such initiatives as Defence Technology Centres and Towers of Excellence. There are also links in place with other Departments to share good practice including in the context of the cross Government science initiative.
	One of the prime objectives of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) Public Private Partnership, announced in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, was to enhance the opportunity for the exploitation of technology generated by the Agency's laboratories. The creation of QinetiQ in 2001, and its progressive transfer to the private sector with the specific role of maximising the commercial return from its intellectual capital, was the single biggest encouragement of defence technology diversification. The other successor organisation to DERA, Dstl which was retained within the MOD, also has a role in exploiting defence technology. Dstl has achieved this through the establishment of Joint Ventures and licensing. In addition, the Defence Diversification Agency (DDA), set up initially within DERA in 1999, has promoted interchange between the defence and civil sectors to create jobs and wealth for the UK economy. The DDA has been active across many technologies and sectors particularly with Small and Medium Enterprises.

Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the timescale for the Employment Agency Standards inspectorate to visit all employment agencies operating in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There is no reliable data on the number of employment agencies currently operating in Great Britain so it is not possible to make such an estimate.
	The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) inspectorate follows up every complaint it receives about the conduct of an employment agency and in addition also carries out targeted inspections of employment agencies. EAS also refers complaints to, and accepts complaints from, other enforcement bodies.

Energy Supplies (Imports)

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to encourage imports of energy supplies from West Africa.

Stephen Timms: The Energy White Paper makes clear that the Government consider that the robustness of the UK's energy systems will be enhanced by a range of energy sources.
	It is, however, for the private sector to decide where they may best purchase oil and gas to fulfil contracts to supply UK energy needs.
	The White Paper also states that the Government believe that their role in this context is to support the creation of an economic environment conducive to investment and that we will continue to engage, inter alia, with African countries, focusing on good governance and the development of stable investment and transit regimes.
	In September 2002 at the Johannesburg World Summit for Sustainable Development the Prime Minister launched his Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). This aims to work with countries and multi nationals to improve standards of governance, reduce opportunities for corruption and develop a stable investment environment. It is envisaged that West African countries will be invited to participate in this initiative.

Energy Supply

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the stability and security of energy supply.

Stephen Timms: The Government attaches great importance to reliable energy supplies—maintaining reliable energy supplies is one of the four key goals of the Government's energy policy identified in our Energy White Paper, published last year.
	National Grid Transco (NGT), the company responsible for operating the electricity and gas transmission networks, has statutory and licence obligations to develop, maintain and operate the electricity and gas transmission systems in an economic, efficient and co-ordinated manner. The reliability and resilience of these transmission systems are among the factors that the energy regulator, Ofgem takes into account when assessing whether NGT has met its obligations.
	In its recent preliminary Winter Outlook Report, NGT reported that
	"under all credible scenarios, there will be enough gas and electricity to meet winter demand".
	NGT also reported that the England and Wales electricity plant margin for next winter is projected at 20.2 per cent., and there is mothballed plant that could potentially return to the system, which could raise the plant margin to 23.2 per cent.
	Through the Joint Energy Security of Supply working group, the DTI and Ofgem continue to monitor the stability and security of energy supplies throughout the UK. The latest JESS report was published in May and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Energy Supply

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the long-term security of United Kingdom energy supplies.

Stephen Timms: Maintaining reliable energy supplies is one of the four objectives of the Energy White Paper (February 2003), which set the strategy for energy policy to 2050. Ministers were closely involved in discussions during its preparation. Delivery of the White Paper's commitments is carried out through the Sustainable Energy Policy Network (SEPN), a network of policy units from across government departments, the devolved administrations, regulators and other organisations which have a direct role to play. Its work is overseen by a Ministerial Committee which meets quarterly and regularly discusses issues relating to security of supply.

Sakhalin II Project

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff from the Export Credits Guarantee Department visited the Sakhalin oil and gas project in Russia in June; what their positions are within the agency; how much the visit cost; and who funded it.

Mike O'Brien: Two staff from ECGD visited the Sakhalin II project, along with environmental experts from the other potential lending institutions and the lenders' environmental consultants. The ECGD staff members were an Environmental Analyst from the Business Principles Unit and a Senior Underwriter from the Business Group.
	Travel and accommodation costs for the ECGD staff totalled around £7,100. As with all other project due diligence costs, this sum will be reimbursed by the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company.

Sakhalin II Project

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department will produce a report of its Sakhalin oil and gas project visit; and whether that report will be made public.

Mike O'Brien: As part of ECGD's internal assessment of the Sakhalin II project, staff visited Sakhalin Island along with environmental experts from the other potential lending institutions and the lenders' environmental consultants. They held meetings with Sakhalin Energy's project managers and engineers, and discussed a range of environmental and social issues, including Western Gray Whales, river crossing strategies, oil spill modelling and resettlement. They also met with Sakhalin residents and local NGOs and reviewed construction at the main project sites.
	A report on the visit will be prepared as part of ECGD's internal assessment and will be made available for other Government Departments. There are no plans for it to be published.
	In accordance with normal procedures, before a decision is made on ECGD cover for the project, full details of the environmental and social impact assessments will be made publicly available by the project sponsors.

Renewable Energy

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to develop a comprehensive strategy for the supply and use of heat as recommended by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in its report 'Energy—The Changing Climate'.

Stephen Timms: The RCEP report 'The Changing Climate' is one of a number of documents published in recent years containing evidence and recommendations which will help inform the review of the Climate Change Programme. The Government will also be publishing its detailed response to the more recent RCEP special report 'Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source', which contained specific measures to promote the supply and use of renewable heat.

Military Equipment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether military equipment sent from the United Kingdom to be used by British forces serving overseas is included in statistics relating to the value of British exports.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 July 2004
	I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 July 2004, Official Report, column 380W, by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey).

Departmental Staff (Scotland)

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department are employed in Scotland.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department employs 258 staff in Scotland.

Departmental Administration Costs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1560W, on the departmental annual report, what the difference is on an equivalent basis of the net administration costs in 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Patricia Hewitt: The difference on an equivalent basis for the net administration costs between 2002–03 and 2003–04 is £16 million. This was awarded through Spending Review 2002 and included an additional £8 million for front line services in the Employment Tribunals Service, ACAS and the Insolvency Service, £5 million for electronic government IT services and an additional £3 million covering a range of activities across the Department.

Post Offices

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) post offices and (b) sub-post offices there were in London on 31 March.

Stephen Timms: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that there were 1,010 post offices in total in the London region as at 31 March 2004. I do not have a breakdown of the directly managed post offices and sub-post offices, and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Post Offices

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices and sub-post offices in London will have closed by the end of the current round of consultation within the Network Reinvention framework; and what proportion this represents of the total at the start of the Reinvention programme.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices are expected to close during the next year.

Stephen Timms: There is no predetermined list or number of future closures. All proposed closures are subject to the outcome of public consultations.

Post Offices

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many London constituencies have been subject to notification of post office and sub-post office closures in the 2004–05 financial year;
	(2)  when she expects the consultations on post office and sub-post office closures in London to be complete.

Stephen Timms: These are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Post Offices

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the urban population lived within one mile of a post office or sub-post office in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England and (c) each constituency in England at the most recent date for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: These are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Postal Deliveries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to the Post Office regarding the numbers of lost and late deliveries.

Stephen Timms: DTI Ministers and officials meet representatives from Post Office on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues, including lost and late deliveries.
	During our discussions, we have received Allan Leighton's personal assurance that improving Royal Mail's quality of service is the company's top priority.

Service Sector Growth

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is planning to tackle the decline in economic growth of the UK service sector.

Patricia Hewitt: According to official figures for the service sector, there were three consecutive quarters of rising growth between 2003 Ql and 2003 Q4, with growth moderating slightly in 2004 Ql from a particularly robust 2003 Q4. However, on an annual basis, service sector growth at 3.6 per cent. is at its highest level for nearly three years.
	The service industries are a substantial component of the British economy and account for over 70 per cent. of UK GDP. The department is therefore committed to ensuring the sector continues to improve by helping to promote a high value added economy. The DTI is working to create the best environment for business success in the UK. We help business become more productive by promoting enterprise, innovation and creativity. We invest heavily in world-class science and technology and we stand up for fair and open markets in the UK, Europe and the world.
	The Department's Business Group is doing work for a range of service sectors through its relationship managers, business support products, the SBS and the RDAs. The Small Firms Loan Guarantee continues to help the sector; in 2003–04 80 per cent. by number and 78 per cent. by value of SFLG loans being made to service sector businesses.

SMART Awards

John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Smart awards will be made this year; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: The Smart scheme closed to new applications in August 2003 and the final 22 awards were made this year. The Grant for Research and Development was introduced in June 2003. Offers of Grant for Research and Development worth £28 million were made to 320 innovative small businesses in the period January to June 2004.

Supermarkets

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanism there is within her Department to ensure that the Office of Fair Trading appropriately discharges its responsibilities in respect of investigating competition issues, with particular reference to the supermarket sector.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is an independent competition authority, and Parliament recently strengthened its independence in the Enterprise Act 2002.
	Under the Enterprise Act 2002 the Secretary of State appoints the OFT Board and can remove Board members "on the grounds of incapacity or misbehaviour".
	There are appeal procedures for decisions made by the OFT. The Competition Act 1998 and Enterprise Act 2002 define the scope for appeals. These appeals are made to, and determined by, the Competition Appeal Tribunal. These provisions apply equally to decisions made concerning the supermarket sector as to decisions made concerning other sectors.

Mobile Telephones

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will commission an independent review of the testing of shielding devices and hands-free kits for mobile telephones; and what plans her Department has to encourage the use of hands-free kits.

Stephen Timms: The Stewart report on Mobile Phones and Health (May 2000) recommended independent testing of shielding devices and hands-free kits. My Department commissioned independent testing of shielding devices and hands-free kits, and published the results in 2001–02. The Mobile Telecommunications and Health research (MTHR) programme recommended further work on hands-free kits. The University of York undertook this work, and the results have been made available in scientific conferences. The final report will be made available on the MTHR website (www.mthr.org.uk) in due course.
	The Department has no plans to encourage the use of hands-free kit. Mobile phones should comply with the exposure guidelines of the International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In their advice leaflets on Mobile Phones and Health the Department of Health said:
	"you can choose to minimise your exposure . . . keep your calls short, consider relative SAR values when buying a new phone".

Mobile Telephones

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the telecommunications industry in relation to the provision of health information to consumers.

Stephen Timms: The Department participates in Government's regular discussions with the mobile telecommunications industry about mobile phones and health. Government advice is provided in the Department of Health leaflet "Mobile Phones and Health". This advice is primarily for the public, but is also clearly relevant to industry. Advice is also available from the National Radiological Protection Board.

Mobile Telephones

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action has been undertaken by her Department to make SAR values for mobile telephones more readily accessible for consumers.

Stephen Timms: The Department held discussions with the mobile telecommunications industry following publication of the Stewart report on Mobile Phones and Health (May 2000), which recommended that information on SAR values be readily accessible to consumers. Government impressed on industry the need to have information available, at all points of sale, with each phone, and on the internet.

Women in the Work Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders to advance the role of women in the workforce.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department is in continual discussion with a wide range of stakeholders to advance the role of women in the workforce. We recognise the importance of meeting a wide variety of stakeholders to inform policy making. For example, the Women and Equality Unit regularly meets with representatives from the Trades Union Congress, the Equal Opportunities Commission, employers and women's organisations, both national and regional, as well as individual women such as leading academics and women from minority ethnic and faith communities.

Working Time Directive

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals have benefited from the working time directive in (a) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (b) the Scottish Borders region and (c) Scotland; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Working Time Regulations provide workers with the right to refuse to work more than 48 hours on average, if they do not want to. Numbers are only available for Scotland at a national level. It has been estimated that around 230,000 workers resident in Scotland stood to benefit from the introduction of the weekly working time limits in 1998.

TREASURY

Betting Exchanges

Stephen Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish a consultation paper on the tax treatment of betting exchanges and their clients.

John Healey: As set out in the 2004 Budget report [HC 301], we are continuing to work with the industry to settle a fair and equitable tax treatment for betting exchanges and their clients. Officials are therefore currently in dialogue with the industry, recognising that the industry is keen to have a settled arrangement for the taxation of betting exchanges and their clients that is fair and equitable.

Childcare Tax Credit (Northampton, North)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many families in Northampton, North are in receipt of the childcare tax credit;
	(2)  how many people in Northampton, North get the childcare tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

Correspondence

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the letter of 28 May from the hon. Member for Bath regarding the Civil Registration Order: Civil Marriages and Religious Content.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the General Registrar for England and Wales, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Dennis Roberts to Mr. Don Foster, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when your letter of 28 May to the Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP regarding Civil Registration, will be answered. I am replying in his absence. (182524)
	A reply to your letter was sent by Ruth Kelly MP, the Minister responsible for Civil Registration, on 5 July 2004. I apologise for the delay in the reply, which was to allow General Register Office officials sufficient time to put the necessary arrangements in place to address the issues you raised.
	As Ruth Kelly states in her letter to you, we will shortly be announcing a review of the interpretation of the regulations governing the choice of readings and music that can be used in civil marriage ceremonies.

Cot Deaths

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest estimates are of the number of cot deaths.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on what the latest estimates are on the number of cot deaths. I am replying in his absence. (182753)
	Figures on cot deaths are compiled using information recorded on death certificates. Each year a figure is produced of all infant deaths where the certifier mentioned "sudden infant death" or related terms such as "cot death" or "sudden infant death syndrome". This figure is referred to as "sudden infant deaths" in routine publications.
	In 2002 (latest year for which figures are available) there were 187 sudden infant deaths in England and Wales. This figure is provisional. Final figures will be published in Health Statistics Quarterly 23, which is scheduled for publication on 19 August 2004.

Sustainable Development

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps have been taken by his Department to review arrangements for public reporting of sustainable development impacts;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department has in place to report publicly on its key sustainable development impacts.

John Healey: Impacts will be reported as appropriate in departmental annual and spring reports and in annual sustainability reports.

Sustainable Development

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there have been in (a) road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions and (b) single occupancy car commuting from his Department against the baseline year in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

John Healey: Road transport vehicle emissions have reduced by some 5 per cent. in Inland Revenue and some 8 per cent. in Customs. HM Treasury does not operate its own vehicle fleet. Figures are not available for single occupancy car commuting.

Departmental Water Use

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there have been in water consumption by his Department for each year from 1997 to date.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is not available. The Chancellor's Departments are fully committed to meeting the Government's water targets.

Efficiency Review

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what plans he has to publish Sir Peter Gershon's Report upon the conclusion of his Efficiency Review;
	(2)  what the scheduled date is for the conclusion of Sir Peter Gershon's Efficiency Review.

Paul Boateng: The Efficiency Review led by Sir Peter Gershon will conclude on 12 July 2004 and further announcements on the outcome of the Review will be made when the 2004 Spending Review is presented.

Employment (Wansdyke)

Dan Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people aged 50 years and over were in employment in Wansdyke in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Dan Norris, dated 16 July 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. I am replying in his absence. (182493)
	The attached table gives the number of people aged 50 and over, resident in the Wansdyke Parliamentary Constituency, who were in employment. The table also gives the employment rates for men aged 50 to 64 and women aged 50 to 59. The. data are for the twelve month periods ending February 1997 and February 2003. This is the latest period for which data are available.
	Estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistics' Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
	
		Employment of people aged 50 and overWansdyke parliamentary constituency, 12 month periods ending February 1997 and February 2003
		
			  People aged 50 and over in employment (Thousand) Employment rate(7) (percentage) 
		
		
			 1997 12 83 
			 2003 13 78 
		
	
	(7) People aged 50 to 64 (men) and 50 to 59 (women) in employment as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	Source:
	ONS—Labour Force Survey.

Income Tax (Pensioners)

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners in Warrington, North have qualified for the 10 per cent. rate of income tax in each year since its introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: All income taxpayers benefit from the 10p starting rate. The Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) estimates that there are around 7,000 and 8,000 state retirement pension age taxpayers in the Warrington, North constituency in 2000–01 and 2001–02 respectively. Figures for 1999–00 are currently not available.

Inland Revenue Staffing

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the staff-customer ratio is for those contacting or receiving services from the Inland Revenue, broken down by (a) all staff, (b) staff dealing with customers face-to-face, (c) call centre staff and (d) staff processing claims without customer contact.

Dawn Primarolo: The following figures are expressed in terms of full-time equivalents (FTEs). The hours worked by part-time staff are aggregated and expressed as an equivalent number of full-time staff. The number of people employed is higher. In 2003–04:
	(a) Inland Revenue staff totalled 73 000 FTEs. The Inland Revenue does not have figures for the total number of customers it deals with, because some people may be included in several categories. For example one individual may simultaneously pay tax through the PAYE system, make tax returns under the self assessment system, make national insurance contributions, and be entitled to tax credit payments.

Key Worker Living Scheme

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2004, Official Report, column 602W, on teachers (loans), whether a tax charge arises for teachers receiving loans under the Key Worker Living Scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: No taxable benefit will arise on key workers receiving loans under the Key Worker Scheme as there is no employer involvement in the making or facilitating of these loans.

Labour Statistics

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in each year since 1997 in (a) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (b) the Scottish Borders and (c) Scotland, broken down by (i) age and (ii) gender.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 12 July 2004
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the level of unemployment in each year since 1997 in (a) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (b) the Scottish Borders and (c) Scotland, broken down by (i) age and (ii) gender. I am replying in his absence. (182743)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The attached Table 1 gives the estimates of the number of people unemployed by gender and age in Scotland covering the twelve months ending February in 1997 and each year from 2000 to 2003. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not yet available on a consistent basis. However, the LFS sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of unemployment in the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Parliamentary Constituency and the Scottish Borders Unitary Authority. As with any statistical sample survey, estimates for the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
	ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas including Parliamentary Constituencies. The attached Table 2 gives the annual average number of JSA claimants by gender and age for the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Parliamentary Constituency, the Scottish Borders Unitary Authority and the Scotland Government office region for each year from 1997 to 2003.
	
		Table 1: Number of unemployed people in Scotland, 12 months ending February in 1997 and each year from 2000 to 2003 1 -- Thousand
		
			  1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 All persons  
			 All aged 16 and over 211 178 159 166 164 
			 All of working age(9) 209 174 156 166 161 
			 16 to 17 15 17 16 20 22 
			 18 to 24 51 43 40 44 39 
			 25 to 34 60 42 35 36 31 
			 35 to 49 55 46 41 42 43 
			 50 to working age limit(9) 28 26 24 24 26 
			 Over pensionable age(9) (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— 
			   
			 Men  
			 All aged 16 and over 142 106 98 105 99 
			 All of working age(9) 141 105 96 105 98 
			 16 to 17 10 11 9 14 12 
			 18 to 24 33 25 23 28 25 
			 25 to 34 40 26 21 19 17 
			 35 to 49 35 24 25 25 25 
			 50 to working age limit(9) 23 21 19 19 19 
			 Over pensionable age(9) (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— 
			   
			 Women  
			 All aged 16 and over 69 72 61 61 65 
			 All of working age(9) 68 69 60 61 64 
			 16 to 17 (10)— 7 7 6 9 
			 18 to 24 18 19 17 16 14 
			 25 to 34 20 17 14 17 15 
			 35 to 49 19 22 16 18 18 
			 50 to working age limit(9) 6 (10)— (10)— (10)— 7 
			 Over pensionable age(9) (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— (10)— 
		
	
	(8) Not seasonally adjusted.
	(9) Working age is between 16 and 64 for men, and between 16 and 59 for women. Pensionable age is 65 for men and 60 for women.
	(10) Sample size too small for reliable estimate.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey Local Area Datasets.
	
		Table 2: Annual average number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance (JSA), by age and gender, areas as shown, 1997 to 2004
		
			  Male claimants 
			 Age group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency 
			 Under 18 11 13 11 14 11 18 15 
			 18 years old 29 28 40 27 23 29 28 
			 19 years old 27 40 27 35 21 22 19 
			 20 to 24 122 125 123 95 96 102 89 
			 25 to 29 117 106 102 84 73 69 67 
			 30 to 34 101 88 98 81 69 67 56 
			 35 to 39 71 74 86 74 77 67 64 
			 40 to 44 70 60 70 56 47 51 43 
			 45 to 49 70 59 61 62 56 48 39 
			 50 to 54 68 67 67 61 45 45 42 
			 55 and over 53 55 63 51 51 53 55 
			 Total 739 715 748 640 569 571 517 
			 
			 Scottish Borders unitary authority 
			 Under 18 24 25 29 29 27 32 24 
			 18 years old 52 67 62 53 57 51 44 
			 19 years old 48 67 56 54 44 46 31 
			 20 to 24 236 234 225 176 173 174 148 
			 25 to 29 197 195 192 158 139 123 101 
			 30 to 34 181 187 200 156 132 120 96 
			 35 to 39 132 137 156 139 133 115 94 
			 40 to 44 114 125 139 98 95 96 86 
			 45 to 49 114 114 133 122 96 85 70 
			 50 to 54 106 118 130 119 106 89 73 
			 55 and over 98 124 130 119 107 111 104 
			 Total 1,302 1,393 1,452 1,223 1,109 1,042 871 
			 Scotland 
			 Under 18 1,953 1,936 1,976 1,841 1,607 1,496 1,536 
			 18 years old 4,323 4,120 4,116 3,612 3,412 3,155 3,257 
			 19 years old 4,237 4,130 3,627 3,291 3,074 2,956 2,817 
			 20 to 24 21,448 18,085 15,258 13,307 12,955 12,781 12,728 
			 25 to 29 20,239 17,327 15,940 13,669 12,201 11,269 10,667 
			 30 to 34 16,786 14,605 14,301 12,743 11,475 10,801 10,183 
			 35 to 39 13,257 11,895 11,835 10,834 9,875 9,421 9,062 
			 40 to 44 10,791 9,679 9,684 9,008 8,160 7,932 7,616 
			 45 to 49 10,017 8,736 8,629 7,839 6,830 6,614 6,414 
			 50 to 54 9,759 8,848 8,663 7,940 6,895 6,676 6,489 
			 55 and over 9,887 8,633 8,331 7,514 6,588 6,928 7,106 
			 Total 122,697 107,994 102,360 91,598 83,072 80,029 77,875 
		
	
	
		Female claimants
		
			 Age group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency 
			 Under 18 8 10 12 5 6 12 10 
			 18 years old 15 18 18 16 13 13 14 
			 19 years old 15 13 16 10 9 9 10 
			 20 to 24 46 41 43 31 31 33 29 
			 25 to 29 32 32 27 22 20 13 13 
			 30 to 34 19 18 23 19 13 18 13 
			 35 to 39 14 18 17 16 14 15 16 
			 40 to 44 22 21 21 14 11 15 15 
			 45 to 49 29 26 23 19 16 14 15 
			 50 to 54 20 22 21 20 18 22 20 
			 55 and over 22 16 19 19 17 12 11 
			 Total 242 235 240 191 168 176 166 
			 
			 Scottish Borders unitary authority 
			 Under 18 20 24 23 14 15 18 18 
			 18 years old 26 31 35 35 26 32 25 
			 19 years old 23 24 27 23 26 26 22 
			 20 to 24 89 84 85 57 58 71 60 
			 25 to 29 54 57 54 44 35 28 26 
			 30 to 34 35 34 33 36 29 28 25 
			 35 to 39 32 36 34 34 27 24 26 
			 40 to 44 40 52 44 33 28 30 27 
			 45 to 49 51 57 49 41 32 29 32 
			 50 to 54 37 53 47 44 44 41 34 
			 55 and over 36 44 43 43 33 33 35 
			 Total 443 496 474 404 353 360 330 
			 
			 Scotland 
			 Under 18 1,387 1,351 1,417 1,289 1,192 1,192 1,247 
			 18 years old 2,227 2,165 2,161 1,983 1,897 1,836 1,939 
			 19 years old 1,939 1,832 1,705 1,551 1,448 1,458 1,415 
			 20 to 24 6,826 5,807 4,984 4,347 4,169 4,207 4,248 
			 25 to 29 4,680 3,969 3,588 3,044 2,653 2,413 2,330 
			 30 to 34 3,301 3,010 2,786 2,475 2,155 2,102 2,040 
			 35 to 39 2,794 2,659 2,573 2,377 2,101 2,037 2,084 
			 40 to 44 2,998 2,970 2,896 2,574 2,240 2,172 2,273 
			 45 to 49 3,267 3,071 2,850 2,599 2,257 2,115 2,105 
			 50 to 54 3,337 3,183 2,946 2,631 2,286 2,117 2,083 
			 55 and over 2,944 2,706 2,525 2,243 1,858 1,914 1,925 
			 Total 35,700 32,723 30,431 27,113 24,256 23,563 23,689 
		
	
	
		All claimants
		
			 Age group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency 
			 Under 18 19 22 22 20 16 30 25 
			 18 years old 44 46 58 43 36 42 41 
			 19 years old 41 53 43 46 31 32 29 
			 20 to 24 167 166 166 127 127 135 119 
			 25 to 29 149 138 129 106 93 82 80 
			 30 to 34 120 106 121 100 81 84 69 
			 35 to 39 85 92 103 90 91 82 80 
			 40 to 44 92 81 91 70 58 66 58 
			 45 to 49 100 85 83 80 72 62 53 
			 50 to 54 89 88 88 81 63 66 62 
			 55 and over 74 71 81 70 67 65 66 
			 Total 980 948 985 833 735 746 682 
			 
			 Scottish Borders unitary authority 
			 Under 18 43 48 53 43 42 50 42 
			 18 years old 78 98 97 87 83 83 69 
			 19 years old 71 91 82 77 71 71 53 
			 20 to 24 325 317 311 233 231 245 208 
			 25 to 29 251 253 246 202 174 151 127 
			 30 to 34 216 220 233 192 161 147 120 
			 35 to 39 164 173 190 173 160 139 120 
			 40 to 44 154 178 183 131 123 126 113 
			 45 to 49 164 170 181 163 128 114 102 
			 50 to 54 143 171 177 164 150 130 107 
			 55 and over 134 168 174 162 140 143 139 
			 Total 1,743 1,887 1,927 1,627 1,463 1,399 1,200 
			 
			 Scotland 
			 Under 18 3,341 3,286 3,392 3,129 2,799 2,688 2,783 
			 18 years old 6,550 6,285 6,277 5,595 5,309 4,992 5,196 
			 19 years old 6,176 5,962 5,332 4,842 4,522 4,414 4,233 
			 20 to 24 28,274 23,892 20,242 17,654 17,124 16,988 16,976 
			 25 to 29 24,919 21,296 19,528 16,714 14,854 13,682 12,997 
			 30 to 34 20,087 17,614 17,088 15,218 13,630 12,903 12,224 
			 35 to 39 16,051 14,554 14,408 13,210 11,976 11,458 11,145 
			 40 to 44 13,789 12,649 12,581 11,583 10,400 10,104 9,889 
			 45 to 49 13,284 11,807 11,479 10,438 9,087 8,730 8,519 
			 50 to 54 13,096 12,031 11,609 10,571 9,181 8,793 8,572 
			 55 and over 12,831 11,338 10,855 9,756 8,445 8,842 9,031 
			 Total 158,398 140,714 132,791 118,710 107,327 103,594 101,565 
		
	
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.

Labour Statistics

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in (a) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (b) the Scottish Borders and (c) Scotland in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 8 July 2004
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on jobs created in (a) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (b) the Scottish Borders and (c) Scotland in each year since 1997.1 am replying in his absence. (182744)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) provide the number of jobs in December of each year.
	The attached table shows the information requested, relating to employee jobs in Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Parliamentary Constituency, the Scottish Borders Unitary Authority and Scotland from 1997 to 2002, the latest available year for which figures are available.
	It is important to note that the ABI is primarily designed to give reliable estimates of job levels, rather than year-to-year changes. Particularly at Parliamentary Constituency level changes between successive years are likely to show considerable volatility. ABI data for 2002 is provisional, and subject to later revision.
	The majority of the increase in jobs in Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale and in the Scottish Borders seen between 1998 and 1999, and also between 2000 and 2001, occurred in the construction sector and the public administration, education and health sector.
	
		Employees(11)by workplace
		
			  Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale  Parliamentary Constituency Scottish borders unitary authority Scotland 
			  Level 2 Annual change Level Annual change Level Annual change 
		
		
			 1997 19,400 — 39,100 — 2,076,300 — 
			 1998 18,900 -500 38,500 -700 2,161,900 85,600 
			 1999 20,300 1,400 42,900 4,400 2,167,000 5,100 
			 2000 19,500 -700 41,900 -1,000 2,234,300 67,300 
			 2001 19,000 -500 40,900 -1,100 2,299,800 65,500 
			 2002 21,500 2,500 42,000 1,200 2,277,900 -21,900 
		
	
	(11)Employee jobs only, not self-employed jobs
	(12)ABI data for Parliamentary Constituencies excludes jobs in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC2003) Sector 0100:
	Agriculture
	Source:
	1997; Annual Employment Survey, rescaled 2002; Annual Business Inquiry (ABI)

Labour Statistics

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many British nationals he estimates have left the UK each year since 1992 for permanent employment in another EU member state, broken down by country.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 8 July 2004
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reply to your question regarding estimates for the number of British nationals who have left the UK for permanent employment in another European Union (EU) member state since 1992. I am replying in his absence. (182745)
	Estimates of the number of British nationals migrating to another EU member state for work-related reasons are shown in the attached table. These data are drawn from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), the principal data source for measuring international migration to and from the UK.
	The following should be noted:
	'British nationals' have been interpreted as those travelling with a British passport.
	An international migrant is defined as someone who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year.
	The IPS measures people's intentions at the time of arrival or departure. These intentions may or may not be realised.
	The IPS asks the respondent their main reason for travel. The data includes those who said that their main reason for travel was business or work (where they had a definite job to go to), and that they intended to remain abroad for a period of at least a year. The estimates do not include people travelling for holiday work, business meetings or short- term contracts; they also do not include those stating they are travelling abroad to look for work. The IPS does not record whether a person is taking up permanent employment abroad.
	The estimates do not include migration from the UK to the Irish Republic. The definition of the EU used for all years is that prior to expansion on the 1st May 2004 excluding the Irish Republic, i.e. the destination countries covered are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
	The attached table shows estimates for the above countries as a group for successive two-year periods from 1991–2 through to 2001–2. The IPS samples approximately 0.2 per cent. of all travellers using the principal air, sea and Channel Tunnel routes from the UK. This sample size is not large enough to allow reliable estimates to be made of the number of British nationals emigrating for work-related reasons by either destination country or by single year.
	
		International migration, estimates from the International Passenger Survey: -- British Citizens migrating to the EU (excluding the Irish Republic) for work related reasons, United Kingdom
		
			  Thousands 
		
		
			 1991–92 26.8 
			 1993–94 26.1 
			 1995–96 40.0 
			 1997–98 23.9 
			 1999–2000 29.5 
			 2001–02 35.3 
		
	
	Note:
	A small weighting adjustment has been applied to IPS data for 1991 to 1998. This reflects the estimated effect of applying the weighting improvements made to IPS data from 1999 onwards.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible have been (a) established and (b) abolished since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Details of individual Departments' non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are set out in the annual Cabinet Office publication, "Public Bodies", copies of which are available in the Library. As the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office set out in his answer of 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1537W, a new public bodies database will be launched on the internet later this year. This will contain statistics as at 31 March 2004 which can then be compared with figures in the previous annual "Public Bodies" publications.
	The Treasury currently has two advisory NDPBs: the Public Services Productivity Panel, which was set up in 1998 for an initial two year period and then renewed in 2002, and the Statistics Commission, which was formed in 2000.
	Since 1997, the Treasury has had two other non-departmental public bodies. The Policyholders Protection Board, an Executive NDPB, was formed as part of the Policyholders Protection Act 1975 and the board's functions were transferred to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which was created under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) and is independent from Government.
	The Financial Services Tribunal, a Tribunal NDPB, was established in 1987 and its functions commenced in April 1988. These functions have been repealed under the FSMA.

Smuggling

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of duty through the smuggling of (a) tobacco and (b) alcohol in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Customs' estimates of the revenue loss due to fraud and smuggling of tobacco in 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and of alcohol in 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 are published in HM Customs and Excise's Annual Report, December 2003, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. Estimates for later dates are not available.

Tax Credits (Wansdyke)

Dan Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many families in Wansdyke constituency are eligible for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit; and what proportion of those eligible have taken each tax credit;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total value of the (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit to families in Wansdyke in each of the next three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The available estimates of the number of in-work families receiving these tax credits are shown in "Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. January 2004. Geographical Analyses". This can be found on the Inland Revenue website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/ stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm The estimates are derived from a sample of awards and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
	No estimates are available of the number of families eligible for tax credits in Wansdyke, nor of the value of tax credits that will be received by families in Wansdyke in the future.

Tax Credits (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Warrington, North are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

World Debt

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress has been made by G7 Finance Ministers in tackling world debt; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: After extensive calls from the UK, the G8 reiterated their commitment towards the HIPC initiative at Sea Island, Georgia in June 2004, supported the extension of the initiative by another two years, and committed to financing the initiative in full—including topping up.
	We are now in discussions with our G7 colleagues to discuss further measures to support debt sustainability in the poorest countries, including options for further assistance in the form of debt relief and the use of grants.

HEALTH

School Fruit (Northampton, North)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Northampton, North receive free fruit at school.

Stephen Ladyman: The school fruit and vegetable scheme provides a free piece of fruit every day to 26,103 children in local education authority maintained schools in Northampton with children aged four to six.

Adult Protection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health over what period of time the study on the impact of partnerships and regulation in adult protection will take place; and when the results will be published.

Stephen Ladyman: The study, The impact of partnerships and regulation in adult protection, which will examine referrals to local councils' adult protection services, commenced in October 2003 and will conclude in September 2006.
	Interim reports will be prepared as the study progresses with a final report at the conclusion of the study.

Adult Protection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local adult protection co-ordinators are in place.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government does not collect information on the number of local councils who have an adult protection co-ordinator in post.

Adult Protection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local councils have established an adult protection committee.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government does not collect information on which particular local councils have established multi-agency management committees as set out in "No Secrets". However, a review of the implementation of "No Secrets", carried out by the Centre for Policy on Ageing and published in June 2002, shows that 70 per cent. of councils have set up such committees.

Agenda for Change

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans have been put in place by his Department to deal with delays in rolling out Agenda for Change job profiles that were not fully piloted in early implementer sites.

John Hutton: Agenda for Change job profiles have been devised to help assimilate staff in typical national health service jobs to the new pay system, without the need for full job evaluation. Where job profiles are not available, or are found to be of limited use, employers have the option to develop a locally job evaluated post. Testing of job profiles in early implementer sites is helping to ensure the profiles available for national roll-out are as useful as possible, but it was always intended that the national profiles would extend and evolve over time and therefore no additional contingency planning is necessary.

Botox

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ban the use of (a) botox, (b) dysport and (c) related products for cosmetic purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Botox and Dysport are licensed as 'Prescription Only Medicines' (POMs) and therefore their use should be supervised by an appropriate medical practitioner. They are not licensed for cosmetic use. A doctor may prescribe outside the terms of a product licence, on his or her own responsibility, when it is considered to be in the best interests of a particular patient.
	As POMs, these products may not be promoted directly to the public and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has taken action to ensure that the ban on advertising POMs to the public is upheld. Advice on advertising and prescribing of Botox for cosmetic use has been issued by the Chief Medical Officer.

Dental Health (Children)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the mean number of decayed, filled and missing teeth for five-year old children in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust for the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of five-year-old children had no caries (a) in total and (b) in each strategic health authority in the latest year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information is in the 2003 edition of "Community Dental Health", the journal of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, which has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the internet at http://www. dundee.ac.uk/dhsru/bascd/.

Dental Health (Children)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department will take to improve the awareness of dental hygiene for young people.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 8 July 2004
	We have funded the "Brushing for Life" national dental health education initiative with £1 million over three years. Under the scheme, health visitors help parents and carers get their children into habit of brushing their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. They give out packs containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and a leaflet on oral hygiene at the child health development checks which takes place at eight months, 18 months and three years. The scheme covers the 29 areas, mainly in the North of England and London, with highest levels of tooth decay and also all "Sure Start" areas in which drinking water is not fluoridated.
	Primary care trusts will be seeking to reinforce this good practice on oral hygiene in the health promotion activities they undertake in schools and with young people generally.

Departmental Estate

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total floor space area of buildings owned or leased by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies for each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The total floor space owned or leased by the Department and its agencies in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Department Agency Total 
			  Owned Leased Owned Leased Owned Leased Overall total 
		
		
			 1997 35,485 83,000 0 11,815 35,485 94,815 130,300 
			 1998 35,485 83,000 0 15,971 35,485 98,971 134,456 
			 1999 35,485 85,452 0 15,971 35,485 101,423 136,908 
			 2000 35,485 84,740 1,527 18,146 37,012 102,886 139,898 
			 2001 33,016 82,641 1,527 18,569 34,543 101,210 135,753 
			 2002 33,016 85,165 1,527 19,595 34,543 104,760 139,303 
			 2003 26,062 78,862 1,527 20,346 27,589 99,208 126,797 
			 2004 26,062 74,960 1,527 19,667 27,589 94,627 122,216 
		
	
	Note:
	This answer does not include information about the national health service or non- departmental public bodies.

Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested in shown in the table.
	
		
			  Private sector Academic sector 
		
		
			 2003–04 12 13 
			 2002–03 14 11 
			 2001–02 16 9 
		
	
	The year is from 1 April to 31 March.
	If a period of secondment covers two or more financial years, that secondment is counted in all the financial years during which it occurs. This is in line with the annual statistical exercise carried out by the Cabinet Office interchange unit.
	Secondments are part of the interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. Before an interchange can occur, all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises. Secondment refers to all continuous interchange activity of three months or more.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time is for a deaf patient to receive a digital hearing aid in (a) Dorset, (b) West Sussex and (c) England;
	(2)  what the average waiting time was for a digital hearing aid in England in each of the last seven years;
	(3)  what impact the Modernising Hearing Aids programme has had on average waiting list time for digital hearing aids in England;
	(4)  what the average period of time from referral of a patient in need of a digital hearing aid to fitting the aid was in (a) 2003–04 and (b) each of the last seven years in England.

Stephen Ladyman: Information on waiting times for fitting hearing aids is not collected locally or centrally. Waiting times in audiology, including those for digital hearing aids, are likely to have increased in some areas because of the modernising hearing aid services (MHAS) project. The Modernisation Agency's action on audiology team is working to help national health service organisations improve their own procedures locally in order to reduce waiting times. Information on national average waiting times for audiology is not available.
	MHAS has improved the quality of life of those people who have received digital hearing aids. It has modernised services to make sure that deaf people receive the most advanced hearing aids available, rather than rely on outdated technology from the 1970s.

Disabled People

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements he has in place for monitoring statistics concerning the (a) numbers and (b) needs of disabled people; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the efficacy and efficiency of services provided by his Department to disabled people; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what arrangements he has in place for monitoring statistics concerning the supply of services by his Department to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government is committed to improving the position of disabled people in society and believes that public bodies should take the lead in promoting equal opportunities. That is why the draft Disability Discrimination Bill extends the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) to the functions of public bodies and introduces a duty on public bodies to promote equality for disabled people.
	Accordingly, the Department keeps the efficacy and efficiency of services provided to disabled people under constant review. The Department does not directly provide services for disabled people. Health service provision is the responsibility of the national health service; its quality and effectiveness of service is monitored by the Healthcare Commission. Social service provision is provided by local authorities, with their performance assessed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).
	Themed inspections are carried out by the CSCI (formerly the Social Services Inspectorate), such as a series of inspection reports of services for people with learning disabilities produced in 2003. It also carries out more general inspections, such as on adult services, which also cover disability. The Healthcare Commission has produced a number of reports covering disability and mental health. It will be collecting data on disability status in future national patient surveys; this will enable the analysis of data on patient satisfaction levels by disability status and will further enhance our ability to compare variations in patient experience of different groups in the population.
	The Department is committed to building equality into its work and will be taking forward a project to improve the evidence base on equality to support improved policy making.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for monitoring statistics concerning the number of disabled people and it currently estimates that there are around 10 million adults in Great Britain who are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) (source, FRS 2002/3).
	The Department does not collect data on numbers of disabled people, but on users of social services. The referrals, assessments and packages of care (RAP) return collects annual information on the number of adults aged 18 and over receiving a community care assessment and the outcome of the assessment by client group. It also collects information on the number of adults receiving social services during the year and the type of services they receive. The client groups include people with physical and/or sensory disabilities, people with learning disabilities and those with mental health needs.
	In 2002–03, 1.7 million adults aged 18 and over received social services in England, of whom 1.4 million received community based services. Community based services include day care, meals, direct payments, equipment and transport, as well as home care.

Drug Trials

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish a public registry for all clinical trials of pharmaceutical drugs.

Rosie Winterton: None. Pharmaceutical companies are required by law to submit all research data to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in support of any application for a marketing authorisation for a medicinal product. These data are submitted to the MHRA in confidence.
	The Department encourages the pharmaceutical industry to make the findings of research publicly available. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry does so on behalf of the industry as a whole in the form of a clinical trials database. The database, at www.cmrinteract.com/clintrial, is a voluntary register containing details of clinical trials relating to newly licensed medicines and of trials to be conducted, after licensing approval, among national health service patients.

Elder Abuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been given to the helpline run by Action on Elder Abuse in each year since its launch.

Stephen Ladyman: The funding provided by the Department to Action on Elder Abuse in support of its helpline is as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Funding 
		
		
			 1997–98 30,000 
			 1998–99 63,000 
			 1999–2000 65,000 
		
	
	This recommenced in 2004–05 when the Department provided Action on Elder Abuse with core funding of £104,000, part of which is to ensure that the helpline continues to offer information, advice, support and advocacy to older people, carers, members of the public and practitioners. It is planned to continue this core funding for 2005–06 and 2006–07.

Elder Abuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have undertaken post-registration specialist training in elder abuse in each of the past five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the Government is investing significantly in training provision in the national health service. From 2003–04 to 2005–06 an extra £96 million is being made available to ensure that all health professionals, including nurses, have the right knowledge and skills, such as those required for elder care, to meet the changing and specific healthcare needs of all patients. The Department is working with work force development confederations and strategic health authorities to ensure that optimum use is gained from this investment and good practice is disseminated.
	For nurses and midwives, it is for local employers to determine their employers training needs linked to local service plans. Access to training is affected by whether funding is available, staff can be released, training interventions are appropriate, flexible and convenient and mentors/assessors are available. It would not be practical for the centre to be prescriptive on this.

Environmental Sustainability

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) sustainability and environmental impact of its private finance initiative (PFI) projects and (b) effectiveness of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage;
	(3)  what plans he has to make private finance initiative contracts more accountable and transparent in terms of environmental sustainability.

John Hutton: The NHS environmental assessment tool kit (NEAT) is the national health service's response to the Government's objective of a sustainable construction programme.
	All capital development schemes, whether private finance initiative (PFI) or publicly funded, must submit a NEAT as part of their full business case (FBC). The business case must demonstrate a commitment to meeting the NEAT score rating of "excellent" for a new build or "very good" for a refurbishment scheme.
	By integrating the design, build and operational aspects into a single financial package, PFI helps to encourage greater efficiency, including energy efficiency, over the whole life of the contract.
	In the interests of accountability and transparency, all full business cases are published.

Health Service (Shrewsbury)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  who is responsible in the relevant Strategic Health Authority for making the decision on the installation of the new linear accelerator at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital;
	(2)  what the reasons are for installing a new linear accelerator at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital;
	(3)  how much a new (a) linear accelerator and (b) bunker would cost to purchase and install at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in processing the business case for a new linear accelerator at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Stephen Ladyman: Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) reports that its capital review group (CRG) is responsible for the initial assessment of all full business cases presented to the SHA. If appropriate, the CRG will present the business case to the SHA executive board for formal approval. Final sign off is by the chief executive of the SHA, as the nominated representative of the executive board.
	Linear accelerators are used in external beam radiotherapy; one of the principal weapons used to combat cancer. Demand for radiotherapy in Shropshire continues to rise. Without a replacement linear accelerator, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will not be able to meet the demands for radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is a key element in the treatment of cancer.
	The new linear accelerator will be a replacement for the current SL75/5 linear accelerator. Linear accelerators have a recognised 10 year life span. The SL75/5 linear accelerator at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital was installed in 1995 and is therefore due for replacement in 2005.
	Breaks in radiotherapy are to be avoided and can be detrimental to clinical outcome. The replacement will also ensure that continuity of clinical service can be maintained at all times with the existing linear accelerator.
	The cost of a linear accelerator is between £750,000 to £1.25 million, depending on machine specification and options required.
	The SHA reports that the cost of a bunker on the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site has currently been estimated at £1,012,000.
	The SHA also reports that the business case for the new linear accelerator is being appropriately processed and has not experienced any significant delay.

Health Service (Shrewsbury)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current deficit is of the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

Stephen Ladyman: Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority reports that Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals national health service Trust declared a deficit of £783,000 in its draft accounts at its trust board meeting in June 2004.

Health Service (Shrewsbury)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards building a new cancer centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Stephen Ladyman: Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority reports that the new cancer centre is expected to cost about £4 million. The scheme will be funded through public appeal which is expected to take around four years to complete. On-going revenue costs will be met by local primary care trusts. A site has been identified and draft plans are being prepared.

Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects (a) the analysis of results of the consultation and (b) resulting proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners to be published.

John Hutton: On 2 March 2004, we published proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners. The consultation period closed on 7 June and the Department is currently analysing the responses received. The Department will publish an analysis of the responses to the consultation in the autumn. We plan to publish draft legislation for further consultation in 2005.

Hospital Beds

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds were available in the NHS in (a) 1979 and (b) 1997.

John Hutton: The table shows data on the average number of national health service available hospital beds, including both psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospitals.
	
		Average daily number of NHS available hospital beds -- Thousand
		
			 Financial year 1979 1997–98 
		
		
			 England (13) 364 194 
			 Wales (13) 24 15 
			 Scotland (14) 58 37 
			 Northern Ireland (15) 17 9 
			 U.K. 463 255 
		
	
	(13) 1979: calendar year.
	(14) 1979: as at 30 September.
	(15) 1979: as at 31 December.
	Source:
	Annual Abstract of Statistics.

Kidderminster Treatment Centre

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what direct funding his Department is providing for the Kidderminster Treatment Centre in addition to funding through primary care trusts.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department and West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority have invested £18.5 million of capital in the Kidderminster Treatment Centre.

Kidderminster Treatment Centre

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will decide which patients should be treated at the Kidderminster Treatment Centre.

Stephen Ladyman: West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that up to 31 March 2005, a number of patients will be redirected to the independent sector treatment centre from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. After that date the treatment centre will receive new general practitioner referrals. The process will be managed by the three primary care trusts in Worcestershire.

Kidderminster Treatment Centre

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of likely levels of demand for elective surgery at the Kidderminster Treatment Centre (a) in December, (b) at Easter and (c) during the main summer holiday period.

Stephen Ladyman: This is a matter for the local health community. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that the assessment of demand for elective surgery is an ongoing rather than specific period process. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and the three primary care trusts in Worcestershire are now working together on a joint commissioning basis. They are using a waiting list modelling system to ensure that capacity matches demand and that national targets for waiting times are met.

Kidderminster Treatment Centre

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what flexibility there will be within the contract for the Kidderminster Treatment Centre to amend the numbers of operations performed between different types of operation.

Stephen Ladyman: Limited substitution of cases, based on patient suitability rather than the complexity of the case, is being built into the contract.

Means-Tested Benefits

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the means-tested benefits available through his Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now.

Rosie Winterton: The income related benefits available through this Department in 1997, all still available in 2004, are help with health costs (including prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests, glasses or contact lenses, wigs or fabric supports from a hospital and travel to hospital for national health service treatment) and the welfare food scheme, providing free milk and vitamins.

Agency Nurses

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of nurses working in the national health service were supplied on contract by private agencies in each year from 1990 to 2003.

John Hutton: Separate information is not collected centrally on expenditure on agency staff. Information is collected on expenditure on non-national health service staff for primary care trusts, NHS trusts and strategic health authorities. These figures include all agency staff and any other staff not directly employed by these bodies. The figures for non-NHS nurses, midwives and health visitors are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on non-NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff as a percentage of expenditure on NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 
		
		
			 1990–91 2.24 
			 1991–92 1.76 
			 1992–93 1.64 
			 1993–94 1.70 
			 1994–95 2.10 
			 1995–96 2.61 
			 1996–97 2.95 
			 1997–98 3.26 
			 1998–99 3.90 
			 1999–2000 4.70 
			 2000–01 5.22 
			 2001–02 5.91 
			 2002–03 5.76 
		
	
	Sources:
	1. Annual financial returns of district and regional health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 1990–91 to 1995–96.
	2. Annual financial returns of health authorities, 1996–97 to 2001–02.
	3. Annual financial returns of strategic health authorities, 2002–03.
	4. Annual financial returns of NHS trusts, 1991–92 to 2002–03.
	5. Annual financial returns of primary care trusts, 2000–01 to 2002–03.

Ministerial Travel

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each year since 1997 the number of miles flown by each Minister on official departmental business.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Visits

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers from his Department have visited health services and medical care facilities in Taiwan in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: My noble Friend, the Lord Filkin, travelled to Taiwan in October 2001 in a ministerial capacity for the Department and visited a hospital as part of his programme.

Myasthenia Gravis

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how the Government support those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Stephen Ladyman: Myasthenia gravis is a neurological condition characterised by fluctuating levels of muscle weakness. There is no cure, but treatment includes medication, surgery and palliation.
	The national service framework for long term conditions will focus on improving services for people with neurological conditions. While the framework will not cover myasthenia gravis specifically, it will recommend improvements in standards, care and support that will benefit everyone with a neurological condition.
	We are committed to publishing the framework as soon as possible.

NHS Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions for dental treatment there were in the NHS for each region in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information available for emergency admissions into hospital for dental treatment is shown in the table for each strategic health authority area from 1997–98 to 2002–03.
	
		National health service: number of emergency hospital admissions for dental treatment in England by strategic health authority
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
		
		
			 England 4,047 4,321 4,369 
			 
			 Strategic health authority
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 114 156 129 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 46 74 86 
			 Essex 214 107 122 
			 North west London 58 281 122 
			 North central London 58 44 81 
			 North east London 65 67 128 
			 South east London 152 129 121 
			 South west London 50 54 84 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 29 98 149 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley — — 49 
			 North and east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire 46 44 121 
			 West Yorkshire 48 105 190 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 134 147 199 
			 Greater Manchester 54 54 84 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 248 283 380 
			 Thames Valley 68 122 119 
			 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight 128 109 151 
			 Kent and Medway 73 49 138 
			 Surrey and Sussex 96 147 154 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 93 85 105 
			 South West Peninsula 191 232 245 
			 Dorset and Somerset 89 84 89 
			 South Yorkshire 42 34 99 
			 Trent 94 158 159 
			 Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland 32 52 184 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 90 58 79 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 118 140 157 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 56 67 54 
			 Unclassified region 1,561 1,341 591 
		
	
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 England 4,429 4,188 4,715 
			 
			 Strategic Health Authority
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 179 227 309 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 169 71 79 
			 Essex 115 98 103 
			 North west London 53 44 83 
			 North central London 78 79 74 
			 North east London 145 124 206 
			 South east London 153 185 225 
			 South west London 105 76 93 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 164 176 158 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 51 60 125 
			 North and east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire 144 140 200 
			 West Yorkshire 207 164 162 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 194 270 292 
			 Greater Manchester 76 202 266 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 328 325 400 
			 Thames Valley 98 89 114 
			 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight 147 154 140 
			 Kent and Medway 168 147 119 
			 Surrey and Sussex 153 133 215 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 137 100 139 
			 South West Peninsula 246 243 266 
			 Dorset and Somerset 86 76 98 
			 South Yorkshire 76 97 153 
			 Trent 179 197 230 
			 Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland 154 146 128 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 78 58 88 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 167 188 181 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 63 76 69 
			 Unclassified region 516 243 — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted for shortfall.
	3. The operations count of episode represent a count of finished admission episodes where the procedure was mentioned in any of the 12 (four prior to 2002–03) operation fields in a Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) record. A record is only included once in each count, even if an operation is mentioned in more than one operation field of the record.
	4. Strategic health authority (SHA) data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002–03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on SHA of treatment is poor in 1997–98 and 1998–99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics Department of Health

NHS Managerial Salaries

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary of NHS (a) managers and (b) senior managers has been in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: It is not possible to separate earnings of managers and senior managers. Robust data on the pay of managers and senior managers was first collected in 2002. For 2002, the average earnings of managers and senior managers was estimated to be £35,700. Of this, £34,900 was made up of basic salary, No data is available for 2003 as the national health service staff earnings survey only proceeds every two years, but estimates put the figures at £36,900 and £36,000 respectively.

NHS Staff Suspensions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the national health service of suspensions of medical and dental staff for the latest quarter for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Information is collected about hospital and community medical and dental staff suspended for more than six months, including information about approximate costs. The reported cumulative approximate cost of the 21 doctors and dentists currently suspended for more than six months is £2.1 million. This figure includes some legal and locum fees, as well as salary costs.

NHS Temporary Staff

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk of fraud in nurse banks and medical locum agencies; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: No such assessment has been made but the National Health Service counter fraud and security management service is currently reviewing staff bank systems with local counter fraud specialists.

NHS Work Force Definitions

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to expand the NHS workforce described as consultant from non-medically or dentally qualified practitioners;
	(2)  what measures he will take to ensure that patients are not misled by the term consultant into believing that they are seeing a doctor or dentist, in the context of non-medically or non-dentally qualified practitioners in the NHS;
	(3)  what assessment has been made of the public's understanding of the term consultant in the context of practitioners they have seen in the NHS.

John Hutton: Appointments to nurse, midwife, health visitor, allied health professions, or healthcare scientist consultant posts are the responsibility of the potential national health service employers, who should take account of any relevant guidance. The Department does not intend to inhibit such appointments. Nor is it aware of any evidence that patients are misled by the use of the term consultant in relation to NHS staff who are not doctors or dentists, although no research has been commissioned by the Department into the public's understanding of this term.

Obesity-related Sleep Apnoea

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2004, Official Report, columns 1281–2W, on obesity-related sleep apnoea, if he will estimate the number of paediatric finished consultant episodes for obesity-related sleep apnoea in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: The table shows information on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for sleep related apnoea, for children under 16 from the (financial) year 1996–97 onwards.
	
		Obesity-related sleep apnoea (1C 10 primary diagnosis G47.3 (sleep apnoea) with secondary mention E66 (obesity) for children under 16, FCEs, national health service hospitals in England, 1996–97 to 2002–03
		
			 Financial year FCEs 
		
		
			 1996–97 5 
			 1997–98 3 
			 1998–99 17 
			 1999–2000 15 
			 2000–01 29 
			 2001–02 24 
			 2002–03 48 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	2. A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	3. Figures are grossed for coverage, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03 which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health.

Paramedics

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department plans to increase the recruitment of paramedics.

John Hutton: holding answer 14 June 2004
	The number of paramedics employed in the national health service is increasing. As at September 2003, there were 7,094 paramedics employed in the NHS, an increase of 730 or 11 per cent., since 1997. The March 2003 national vacancy rate for ambulance staff was 0.7 per cent., indicating that local and national recruitment and retention initiatives are working. These include improving pay and conditions, encouraging the NHS to become a better, more flexible and diverse employer, increasing training, investing in child care and continuing professional development and running national and local recruitment campaigns. NHS Careers, in association with the Ambulance Service Association, has published a new brochure specifically to showcase careers in the ambulance services. Copies are available in the Library.
	In addition to the traditional paramedic training routes for ambulance technicians, the development of degree courses in paramedic science and foundation degrees with flexible entry and exit points, combined with career development in supervisory skills, team leadership and management, will help to encourage further new entrants into the profession. Other developments within ambulance services, such as expanding the role of paramedics to provide more out of hospital care, thus enabling faster treatment, and the development of new ways of working such as the first responder schemes, will continue to ensure there are attractive and rewarding careers for all ambulance staff, including paramedics.

Patient Episodes

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient episodes have been carried out by the English NHS on patients from Wales in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) medical specialism and (b) county borough of residence of patient.

John Hutton: The numbers of finished in year admissions to national health service hospitals in England, for patients resident in Welsh local authority areas are given in table 1 for 1999–2002. The numbers of finished in-year admissions for the patients in table 1 are given by the main specialty of the consultant in table 2.
	
		Table 1: Finished in year admissions to NHS hospitals in England for patients resident in Wales, by local authority of residence, 1999–2002
		
			 Local authority district Finished in year admissions 
			 of residence 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 All Welsh districts 41,509 41,313 40,519 39,070 
			 Isle of Anglesey 1,147 1,203 1,251 1,218 
			 Gwynedd 1,839 1,931 1,893 1,823 
			 Conwy 1,692 1,778 1,712 1,669 
			 Denbighshire 1,657 1,605 1,716 1,549 
			 Flintshire 12,844 12,691 11,943 11,057 
			 Wrexham 4,177 3,072 2,874 2,785 
			 Powys 11,162 12,238 12,410 12,189 
			 Ceredigion 423 419 431 412 
			 Pembrokeshire 350 445 432 425 
			 Carmarthenshire 446 495 474 516 
			 Swansea 574 553 560 529 
			 Neath Port Talbot 316 299 274 318 
			 Bridgend 452 412 370 380 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 284 331 339 317 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 500 471 518 478 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 166 113 134 138 
			 Caerphilly 381 363 405 438 
			 Blaenau Gwent 190 204 220 191 
			 Torfaen 292 283 274 281 
			 Monmouthshire 1,341 1,290 1,193 1,160 
			 Newport 548 481 468 499 
			 Cardiff 729 636 628 698 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Finished in year admissions to NHS hospitals in England for patients resident in Wales, by main specialty of consultant, 1999–2002
		
			  Finished in year admissions 
			 Main specialty of consultant 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 All specialties 41,509 41,313 40,519 39,070 
			 Not known 172 605 10 13 
			 General surgery 4,421 4,519 4,155 4,151 
			 Urology 1,670 1,711 1,717 1,775 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 5,007 4,956 5,332 5,557 
			 Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) 1,090 1,252 1,284 1,226 
			 Ophthalmology 2,055 2,356 2,237 1,889 
			 Oral surgery 731 783 563 507 
			 Restorative dentistry 2 — 6 5 
			 Paediatric Dentistry 10 15 21 23 
			 Neurosurgery 664 711 697 708 
			 Plastic surgery 1,235 1,311 1,331 1,242 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery 849 1,037 1,035 924 
			 Paediatric Surgery 409 467 470 439 
			 Accident and emergency (A and E) 160 151 193 136 
			 Anaesthetics 270 298 285 253 
			 Pain Management 58 48 53 74 
			 General Medicine 5,338 5,280 4,728 4,486 
			 Gastroenterology 806 682 966 1,042 
			 Endocrinology 31 26 29 59 
			 Haematology (clinical) 489 869 792 701 
			 Clinical Pharmacology 24 2 6 13 
			 Audiological medicine — — 1 — 
			 Clinical genetics 2 — — — 
			 Clinical immunology and Allergy 20 6 20 10 
			 Rehabilitation 46 51 32 44 
			 Palliative Medicine — 1 1 1 
			 Cardiology 2,157 2,524 2,907 2,857 
			 Dermatology 61 86 58 70 
			 Thoracic medicine 283 237 260 227 
			 Infectious diseases 10 25 25 19 
			 Nephrology 126 133 176 261 
			 Medical oncology 578 627 545 400 
			 Nuclear Medicine 4 1 1 5 
			 Neurology 703 781 847 730 
			 Rheumatology 520 440 447 439 
			 Paediatrics 2,677 2,823 2,762 2,152 
			 Paediatric neurology 54 56 57 45 
			 Geriatric medicine 413 433 464 612 
			 Medical Ophthalmology 2 — 2 2 
			 Obstetrics for patients using a hospital bed 1,984 2,117 2,566 2,487 
			 Gynaecology 1,735 1,885 1,547 1,543 
			 Mid-wife episodes 2 2 6 11 
			 General practice with maternity function 23 23 14 24 
			 General practice other than maternity 91 87 67 88 
			 Mental handicap 1 2 7 1 
			 Mental illness 298 263 271 244 
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 10 6 8 7 
			 Forensic Psychiatry 3 — 3 — 
			 Psychotherapy 2 — 10 1 
			 Old age psychiatry 9 10 9 10 
			 Clinical oncology (previously Radiotherapy) 4,029 1,501 1,380 1,479 
			 Radiology 89 76 69 66 
			 Chemical Pathology 27 31 22 6 
			 Haematology 58 7 24 6 
			 Medical microbiology — — 1 — 
		
	
	'—' = zero
	Notes:
	1. Finished in-year admissions
	A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Local authority of residence
	This is the local authority district using the latest available boundaries for the data year, where postcodes were known.
	3. Specialty
	Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information.
	4. Grossing
	Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Pay Systems

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the most recent review of (a) his Department's pay systems, (b) the pay systems of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible and (c) the departmental equal pay action plan.

Rosie Winterton: The pay system used in the Department is called pay plus and has been in full operation since August 2002. A copy of pay plus, which records the outcome of the most recent review, has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Non-departmental public bodies are independent and as such are given maximum operational flexibility including the matter of pay systems. The Cabinet Office and Her Majesty's Treasury issue guidance to them on most operational matters.
	As part of the Government's response to the equal opportunities (EOC) task force 'Just Pay' report the Department conducted a review and produced a report which includes the departmental equal pay action plan that was placed in the Library in June 2003.

Primary Care Trusts (Funding)

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the money that has been made available to primary care trusts (PCTs) to assist in the additional costs of moving to payment by results for foundation trusts from 1 April has been allocated to each (a) PCT and (b) foundation trust; and by what formula these allocations were calculated.

John Hutton: All of the additional funding made available to primary care trusts (PCTs), to support their contracting with Wave 1 national health service foundation trusts, was designed to compensate them for the price difference that they were to face in 2004–05 following the move to a national tariff. The funding was made available as non-recurring adjustments to PCT allocations.
	No allocations were made directly to NHS foundation trusts. The overall impact on NHS foundation trusts income will be dependent on the activity they deliver, in line with the payment by results system.
	The three elements to the adjustment were calculated as follows:
	PCT purchasing power adjustment
	This was calculated as the difference between local and national price for an agreed set of activity. Under the payment by results transition arrangements three quarters of this adjustment was returned by NHS foundation trusts to their host PCTs, whose allocation was adjusted, in turn, by the same amount.
	PCT growth support
	This was calculated as 1.2 per cent., of the value of the agreed baseline for each NHS foundation trust.
	Specialist supplement
	This was calculated based on the average impact that the move to a national tariff had those Wave 1 NHS Foundation Trusts who were classified as general hospitals. This funding was made available to the host PCTs of those Wave 1 NHS Foundation Trusts classified as teaching or providing specialist services.
	Information on the allocation adjustment by PCT has been placed in the Library.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) sexually transmitted diseases, broken down by (i) disease, (ii) sex, (b) births and (c) abortions were reported in young people in Essex aged (A) under 12, (B) 12, (C) 13, (D) 14, (E) 15, (F) 16, (G) 17, (H) 18 and (I) 19 years in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 28 June 2004
	The number of diagnoses of syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, genital herpes (first attack) and genital warts (first attack) by sex and age group in the Essex Strategic Health Authority between 1998 and 2002 are shown in the, tables. The data refers to diagnoses made in genitourinary medicine clinics and is available for the age ranges shown.
	
		Diagnoses of selected sexually transmitted infections(16) in those aged under 20 years of age: Essex Strategic Health Authority, 1998–2003
		
			 Condition Age 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Females   
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis <15 0 1 0 0 0 
			  15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  16–19 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Uncomplicated chlamydial infection <15 4 3 3 4 3 
			  15 12 14 8 17 13 
			  16–19 168 246 281 337 376 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea <15 1 0 0 0 3 
			  15 2 0 1 2 0 
			  16–19 13 31 19 21 21 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex (first attack) <15 0 0 0 2 1 
			  15 3 2 2 1 0 
			  16–19 46 64 45 53 50 
			 Anogenital warts (first attack) <15 4 4 3 3 4 
			  15 6 8 5 5 8 
			  16–19 207 251 219 273 249 
			
			 Males   
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis <15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  16–19 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Uncomplicated chlamydial infection <15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  15 0 3 1 0 0 
			  16–19 37 52 56 76 80 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea <15 1 0 0 0 0 
			  15 0 1 1 0 0 
			  16–19 6 12 15 18 10 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex (first attack) <15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  15 0 0 0 0 0 
			  16–19 7 9 7 13 9 
			 Anogenital warts (first attack) <15 2 0 1 0 0 
			  15 1 0 1 0 1 
			  16–19 62 82 91 94 109 
		
	
	(16) Age data is only available for five conditions.
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency
	Data on the number of births to women aged under 20 in the Essex Strategic Health Authority, for the years 1999 to 2003 is shown in table 2.
	
		2. Number of births by age of woman in Essex, 1999–2003
		
			  Ages 
			  11–15 1 16 17 18 19 
		
		
			 1999 21 70 153 269 325 
			 2000 24 68 143 235 317 
			 2001 22 74 141 221 266 
			 2002 14 56 132 246 313 
			 2003 27 71 126 230 316 
		
	
	(17) Data for individual years is not provided for under 16s, in order to protect confidentiality.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics
	Abortion data for 1998 to 2002, for women under 20 in Essex Strategic Health Authority is shown in table 3.
	
		3. Number of abortions to women aged under 20 in Essex Strategic Health Authority, 1998–2002
		
			  Ages 
			  <14 14 15 16 17 18 19 
		
		
			 1998 4 24 68 166 223 258 285 
			 1999 3 22 74 143 224 269 281 
			 2000 6 25 68 159 199 268 265 
			 2001 6 18 66 154 218 270 290 
			 2002 3 14 64 136 239 256 248 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health

Skin Cancer

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of newly diagnosed skin cancer in England in each year since 1997 was for (a) 0 to 15-year-olds, (b) 15 to 30-year-olds, (c) 30 to 45-year-olds, (d) 45 to 50-year-olds, (e) 50 to 65-year-olds and (f) over 65-year-olds.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 12 July 2004
	The National Statistician, has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the incidence of newly diagnosed skin cancer in England in each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (183049)
	The most recent available figures are for the year 2001. The numbers of cases for the years 1997 to 2001 are given in the table below.
	
		Number of newly diagnosed cases of skin cancer(18) in England, by age group, 1997–2001
		
			  Number of cases 
			 Age group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 0–14 8 9 6 5 4 
			 15–29 304 305 271 333 354 
			 30–44 823 905 917 1,069 1,115 
			 45–49 420 433 383 407 506 
			 50–64 1,381 1,405 1,401 1,629 1,696 
			 65 and over 1,940 1,964 2,064 2,378 2,387 
			 Total 4,876 5,021 5,042 5,821 6,062 
		
	
	(18) Melanoma skin cancer is defined as C43 in the 10th edition of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10).
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Smoking

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by his Department treating smoking-related diseases in each year since 1997, broken down by health authority area; and how many (a) patients were treated for smoking-related medical conditions and (b) deaths were directly attributed to smoking in each year.

Melanie Johnson: The detailed information as requested is not routinely collected.
	The latest data available on smoking related deaths estimated that, in the United Kingdom in 1995, smoking caused more than 120,000 deaths of people aged 35 years or over 1 .
	Treating illness and disease caused by smoking is estimated to cost the National Health Service up to £1.7 billion every year in terms of general practitioner visits, prescriptions, treatment and operations 2 .
	Information on primary diagnosis of smoking related conditions, a count of finished admissions episodes by strategic health authority in England from 1997–2003, is shown in the table.
	Sources
	1 The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995 by the Health Education Authority. 2 Buck D, Godfrey C, Parrott S, Raw M, University of York Centre for Health Economics. Cost effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions. London: Health Education Authority, 1997.
	
		Primary Diagnosis (ICD-10 Codes) smoking related conditions—Count of finished admission episodes by strategic health authority (SHA) of treatment (2002–03 boundaries) NHS Hospitals, England 1997–98 to 2002–03
		
			 SHA of treatment 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk And Cambridgeshire HA 41,324 43,355 46,597 48,485 51,376 53,551 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 6,673 6,931 9,337 18,446 18,280 19,538 
			 Q03 Essex HA 22,305 23,257 25,548 25,088 24,724 24,668 
			 Q04 North West London HA 25,590 35,891 38,908 40,168 36,974 39,021 
			 Q05 North Central London HA 20,600 19,892 25,274 25,011 24,375 24,114 
			 Q06 North East London HA 17,777 17,709 28,240 28,211 34,026 33,747 
			 Q07 South East London HA 31,821 32,552 31,656 31,530 27,951 30,538 
			 Q08 South West London HA 21,705 22,245 27,397 27,731 28,467 28,356 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 9,589 43,910 43,563 43,959 43,351 44,879 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley HA — — 17,304 17,028 17,001 28,772 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire And Northern Lincolnshire HA 11,766 11,734 33,507 33,595 31,232 32,559 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire HA 10,203 30,847 50,637 48,791 50,381 50,234 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 9,115 15,854 18,378 17,173 21,628 40,239 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester HA 41,826 45,361 49,260 41,254 52,043 63,570 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 44,526 46,294 52,653 52,150 53,577 53,735 
			 Q16 Thames Valley HA 17,008 27,807 30,151 28,459 28,892 30,368 
			  Q17 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight HA 24,415 27,114 29,669 31,254 30,076 32,967 
			 Q18 Kent and MedwayHA 5,394 5,275 17,263 25,453 23,585 25,505 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex HA 14,905 20,368 24,848 26,300 23,579 42,676 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 20,599 24,605 31,319 30,802 31,737 44,623 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula HA 29,012 31,208 32,605 33,120 34,527 35,391 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset HA 21,449 22,393 21,535 21,575 21,608 22,650 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire HA 9,756 9,565 24,772 27,168 35,558 37,677 
			 Q24 Trent HA 25,950 35,655 46,124 51,792 49,283 48,941 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 8,856 8,963 28,293 29,484 28,446 28,609 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 24,726 24,810 24,639 22,723 23,807 25,909 
			 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country HA 42,076 43,151 46,649 45,905 46,429 54,357 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire HA 17,461 18,348 22,544 27,621 26,492 26,767 
			 Y Unknown 432,954 344,830 156,477 123,130 72,104 — 
			  England 1,009,381 1,039,923 1,035,145 1,023,406 391,509 1,023,961 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	3. Strategic Health Authority (SHA) data quality—SHA data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002–03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on SHA of treatment is poor in 1997–98 and 1998–99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.
	Source:
	Hospital episode statistics, Department of Health.

Sperm Supply

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the level of protection for recipients of fresh sperm afforded by the current regulatory framework governing supply;
	(2)  if he will bring forward legislation governing the supply and purchase of fresh sperm to afford greater protection to recipients.

Melanie Johnson: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 requires the provision of treatment services using fresh donated sperm to be regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. This ensures that the recipients of the sperm are afforded protection. Private arrangements involving the supply of fresh donated sperm for home insemination purposes, that do not involve the provision of treatment services, do not come within the remit of the Act.
	The Department will also be considering the regulation of arrangements that involve fresh sperm in the review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 that I announced in January 2004. The European Union Directive on Tissues and Cells (Directive 2004/23/EC ), due to come into force in April 2006, will also set safety and quality standards for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of tissues and cells for human application, including donated sperm.

Surplus Capacity

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surplus capacity in each specialism there is in each NHS hospital, broken down by region.

John Hutton: The capacity planning exercise currently in progress aims to identify growth in levels of activity and to define any gaps in the service capability to accommodate that growth. The exercise may identify where spare capacity exists and how that spare capacity might be used to deliver increased activity. It will also help to specify the requirements for a second round of independent sector procurement of diagnostic services and elective activity to be in place for 2006–08. These outputs are expected to be available in September 2004.

Training (Nurses and Doctors)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it costs to train (a) a nurse and (b) a doctor.

John Hutton: The latest year for which figures are available show that, in 2003–04, the national average cost of tuition to train a nurse over the three years of their course was £19,370. Diploma students would also be entitled to a non-means tested bursary, which in 2003–04 averaged £6,772 per annum.
	In the period between entry to medical school and full registration, it is estimated that training a doctor costs between £200,000 and £250,000. Doctors generally continue training after full registration. As the duration and nature of post-registration training varies greatly and as service and training costs are closely related, it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the total cost of training.

Winter Warmth Campaign

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the Keep Warm Keep Well campaign last winter; what analysis he has commissioned on the advice people received from the winter warmth line; what plans he has for the campaign for this winter; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: To assess the effectiveness of the Keep Warm, Keep Well campaign, we plan to contact callers to the winter warmth advice line who inquired about grants or benefits to assess how effective the winter warmth advice line was in helping them. A decision has yet to be made on the plans for the campaign for 2004–05.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Poverty

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent weekly income thresholds are over which the Government judge children to be lifted out of poverty in the United Kingdom (a) before housing costs and (b) after housing costs; and in each case, (i) how many children remain in poverty and (ii) how many children would be judged to have been lifted out of poverty if each of these thresholds were increased by (A) £20, (B) £30 and (C) £40 a week.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Weekly monetary incomes, for illustrative household types, equal to 60 per cent. of contemporary median equivalised income in 2002–03
		
			 Household type Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 Couple with no children (equivalised  income benchmark) 194 172 
			 Couple with two children aged 5 and 11 283 253 
			 Single with two children aged 5 and 11 207 175 
			 Couple with one child aged 5 235 208 
			 Single with one child aged 5 159 131 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The weekly household equivalised income threshold for the contemporary measure of low income used for the PSA target on reducing child poverty for 2002–03 was £194 on a before housing costs basis and £172 on an after housing costs basis.
	2. Equivalised incomes adjust household incomes for household composition, to reflect the fact that households of differing composition need differing levels of cash income to attain a given standard of living; results presented here use the McClements equivalisation scale.
	3. All figures are in pounds per week, in 2002–03 prices, rounded to the nearest pound, and are consistent with current National Statistics conventions.
	Source:
	"Households Below Average Income—An analysis of the income distribution for 1994–95—2002–03"
	
		Number of children in low income if the threshold were raised by the following amounts -- Million
		
			 Threshold raised by: Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 £0 2.6 3.6 
			 £20 3.5 4.4 
			 £30 4.0 4.8 
			 £40 4.4 5.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are given to the nearest 0.1 million children.
	2. All figures relate to 2002–03, the latest date for which data are available.
	3. The threshold used here is the value of 60 per cent. of the median income both before and after housing costs.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey.

Council Tax Benefit (Coventry, South)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many council tax benefit recipients there are in Coventry, South.

Chris Pond: The number of council tax benefit recipients is not available by parliamentary constituency. As at February 2004, 30,100 households were in receipt of council tax benefit in the Coventry city council area.
	Notes:
	1. The figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Council tax benefit data excludes any Second Adult Rebate cases.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count.

Departmental Advisers (Costs)

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the costs were to his Department of outside consultants, advisers, accountants and lawyers in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested for 2003–04 will not be available until the end of July 2004. A copy of the document will be placed in the Library once available.

Disabled People (Assessment of Services)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the efficacy and efficiency of services provided by his Department to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are committed to improving the position of disabled people in society and believe that public bodies should take the lead in promoting equal opportunities. That is why the draft Disability Discrimination Bill extends the DDA to the functions of public bodies and introduces a duty on public bodies to promote equality for disabled people.
	Accordingly, the Department keeps the efficacy and efficiency of services provided to disabled people under constant review. For example, in the past year we have improved the provision of online Government information for disabled people and unpaid carers with the launch of Directgov in April 2004 (www. direct.gov.uk/disability). This covers a range of areas including rights, employment, independent living and health.
	We are in the process of modernising all benefits, including by making it possible to claim them online. Customers can already claim carer's allowance online and by the end of 2005, disabled customers will also be able to claim DLA and AA on-line. We also introduced a new substantially shortened claim forms for attendance allowance last October, which has simplified the claims process for disability benefits for those aged 65 or over.
	We are committed to helping disabled people into employment. For example, between April 2003 to March 2004 over 20,000 jobs were gained by participants on the New Deal for Disabled People programme. In addition, the Pathways to Work Program, a new way of giving early and continuing support to people on incapacity benefit is being piloted in several areas and is already generating good feedback and positive results.

Sustainable Development

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what parts of his Department's estate will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Chris Pond: The whole of the DWP Estate will be covered by the commitments outlined within the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Sustainable Development

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to review arrangements for public reporting of sustainable development impacts in accordance with the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate; and what arrangements his Department has to report publicly on its key sustainable development impacts.

Chris Pond: The Department for Work and Pensions published its first separate Sustainable Development Report in November 2001. The Department is committed to issuing this comprehensive report and publishes this annually on the DWP public-facing Internet site. The report contains information on progress on the targets contained within the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, details of policy developments and their impacts on the overall UK Sustainable Development Strategy as well as considering the wider social impacts of the Department's operations.
	The Department will continue to fully contribute to the Government's annual Sustainable Development in Government report.

Sustainable Development

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress there has been in reducing (a) road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions and (b) single occupancy car commuting in his Department against the baseline year.

Chris Pond: The Department for Work and Pensions has recalculated its baseline figures for road transport vehicle carbon emissions to make use of improved data collection. The results are given in the table:
	
		
			  Kg CO 2 Percentage reduction 
		
		
			 2002–03 21,391,275 — 
			 2003–04 20,191,096 5.6 
		
	
	This indicates that the Department is well on course to meet the 10 per cent. reduction in road transport CO 2 emissions, contained within the Travel targets of the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.
	The Department has already stated its intention not to gather information on single occupancy car commuting as this would be excessively resource intensive, given the size of the estate. The Department continues to encourage the use of Green Commuting at a corporate level.

Departmental Water Use

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes there have been in levels of water consumption by his Department in each year from 1997 to date.

Chris Pond: The levels of water consumption for the Department for Work and Pensions, including all its agencies are given in the following table, which summarises the information given in the "Sustainable Development in Government" reports. Figures are reported from 2001–02 because DWP did not come into existence until June 2001.
	
		
			  m(21) 
		
		
			 2001–02 7.7 
			 2002–03 9.14 
		
	
	The figures for 2001–02 only reflect information for the former Employment Service estate.
	Figures are not yet available for 2003–04, but will be reported in the next Sustainable Development in Government report.

Girocheque Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (a) how many and (b) what percentage of Girocheque payments were delayed or lost between 31 March 2002 and 1 April 2003; and how many of these late payments resulted in emergency payments to claimants.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the information which is available on Girocheques between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Girocheques issued 43,570,325 
			 Girocheques reported not received, lost, stolen or destroyed 288,999 
			 Number of Girocheques reported not received, lost, missing or stolen as a percentage of Girocheques issued 0.66 
		
	
	Customers who suffer hardship as a result of delayed or lost Girocheques can apply for a payment from the social fund. We do not keep specific data on the number of customers who apply to the social fund for this reason.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of recipients of jobseeker's allowance who found work made a subsequent claim for JSA in the following six months broken down by (a) all adults, (b) adults aged 16 to 24, (c) adults aged 25 to 49 and (d) adults aged 50 years to state pension age in the last period for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The information requested is shown in the tables. The latest available information is for February 2003, as this allows a full six months for claimants leaving benefit to return. Updated figures (for August 2003) however should become available within the next two weeks.
	
		Persons leaving JSA on finding work 1: Great Britain September 2002 to August 2003
		
			 JSA claim ending in period All terminations (Thousand) Returning to JSA within six months (Thousand) Percentage returning to JSA within 6 months 
		
		
			 All ages
			 March 2002 to February 2003 746.1 264.4 35.4 
			 March to May 2002 209.2 73.9 35.3 
			 June to August 2002 183.0 70.4 38.5 
			 September to November 2002 222.7 89.3 40.1 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 226.8 83.0 36.6 
			 
			 Claimant aged 16 to 24 2
			 March 2002 to February 2003 231.0 94.9 41.1 
			 March to May 2002 65.8 26.9 40.9 
			 June to August 2002 58.6 25.0 42.6 
			 September to November 2002 78.9 35.7 45.3 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 69.5 29.2 42.0 
			 
			 Claimant aged 25 to 49 2
			 March 2002 to February 2003 413.6 138.3 33.4 
			 March to May 2002 114.8 38.1 33.2 
			 June to August 2002 101.1 37.4 37.0 
			 September to November 2002 116.6 43.6 37.4 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 126.4 43.6 34.5 
			 
			 Claimant aged 50 and over(20)
			 March 2002 to February 2003 101.5 31.2 30.7 
			 March to May 2002 28.6 8.9 31.1 
			 June to August 2002 23.4 8.0 34.3 
			 September to November 2002 27.1 10.0 36.8 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 30.9 10.2 33.0 
		
	
	(19) The numbers show the number of people who have left JSA on finding work, working on average 16 hours per week or more, and on taking up the New Deal Employers Option.
	(20) Age is given at the point the JSA claim terminates.
	Notes:
	1. Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands. Percentages are given to one decimal place.
	2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	3. Figures are based on persons who were receiving income-based or contribution-based JSA when their claim terminated. National insurance credits only cases are not included.
	4. A person is counted only once in each period, regardless of the number of times they claim and subsequently leave JSA.. This means that the annual figures will be considerably lower than the sum of the four quarters.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples

Jobseeker's Allowance

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of recipients of (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) income support, (c) incapacity benefit and (d) severe disablement allowance who found work made a subsequent claim for one of those benefits in the following six months broken down by (i) all adults, (ii) adults aged 16 to 24, (iii) adults aged 25 to 49 and (iv) adults aged 50 years to state pension age in the last period for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the tables.
	
		People leaving jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance on finding work, March 2002 to February 2003 -- Thousand
		
			  Number of claimants ending their claim to: 
			  Jobseeker's allowance Incapacity benefit Severe disablement allowance 
		
		
			 All ages 746.1 23.5 0.6 
			 Claimant aged 16–24 231.0 0.9 (21)0.1 
			 Claimant aged 25–49 413.6 13.3 0.5 
			 Claimant aged 50 and over 101.5 9.3 – 
		
	
	
		Proportion of people returning to benefit within six months of ending a previous claim, March 2002 to February 2003 -- Percentage
		
			  People returning to benefit within 6 months of ending their claim to: 
			  Jobseeker's allowance Incapacity benefit Severe disablement allowance 
		
		
			 All ages 37.6 16.8 (21)16.7 
			 Claimant aged 16–24 43.1 (21)23.3  
			 Claimant aged 25–49 35.6 15.9 (21)16.0 
			 Claimant aged 50 and over 33.3 17.4 . 
		
	
	(21) are based on very few sample cases and will be subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	
		Persons leaving income support by age group, March 2002 to February 2003
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 All ages 884,900 
			 16–24 135,800 
			 25–49 409,500 
			 50 and over 339,600 
		
	
	
		Proportion of people leaving Income Support who return to IS, JSA, IB or SPA within 6 months by age group, March 2002-February 2003
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 All ages 31.1 
			 16–24 43.5 
			 25–49 37.9 
			 50 and over 18.0 
		
	
	n/a=Percentage is not applicable, as at least one of the corresponding caseloads is nil or negligible.
	(22) Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands. Percentages are given to one decimal place.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. These figures should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	2. JSA figures are based on persons who were receiving Income-based or contribution-based JSA when their claim terminated. National Insurance credits only cases are not included.
	3. JSA numbers show the number of people who have left JSA on finding work, working on average 16 hours per week or more, and on taking up the New Deal Employers Option.
	4. Incapacity Benefit figures are based on persons receiving either Long Term or
	5. Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance terminations shown are those recorded as "returning to work" and therefore figures may not directly correspond to those finding work.
	6. All Income Support terminations are shown as the reason for leaving benefit is not known.
	7. A person is counted only once in each period, regardless of the number of times they claim and subsequently leave each benefit.
	8. Age is given at the point the claim terminates.
	9. End dates of IS claims are not collected, therefore the claim end dates for IS claimants are estimated. Persons returning within 6 months will therefore be a six month period from the estimated end date.
	10. "—" signifies nil or negligible.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people and (b) people aged over 50 years who made a new claim for jobseeker's allowance were (i) still claiming jobseeker's allowance, (ii) claiming another benefit and (iii) in employment six months later in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The available information requested is shown in the tables. The latest available information is for February 2003, as this allows a full six months for claimants leaving benefit to return. Updated information (for August 2003) will be available within the next two weeks.
	
		Persons commencing a claim to jobseeker's allowance (JSA): Great Britain March 2002 to February 2003—All ages -- Thousand
		
			   Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: All claims commencing in period All still receiving JSA Still receiving JSA (same claim) Still receiving JSA (subsequent claim) All receiving another benefit 3 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 1,928.7 725.4 396.0 329.4 118.8 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 579.1 201.2 115.7 85.5 36.6 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 611.7 218.8 119.5 99.3 35.6 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 610.0 234.3 139.5 94.8 37.8 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 623.7 213.3 128.7 84.6 35.5 
		
	
	
		Thousand
		
			  Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: Claimants subsequently leaving benefit Left JSA for work 4 (and had not returned within six months) Left JSA for other reasons (and had not returned at the six-month date) 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 1,084.6 451.6 632.9 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 341.3 113.1 228.2 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 357.2 121.8 235.5 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 338.0 138.7 199.3 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 374.8 185.7 189.2 
		
	
	
		Persons commencing a claim to jobseeker's allowance (JSA): Great Britain March 2002 to February 2003—Claimant aged up to and including 50 years of age(27) -- Thousand
		
			   Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: All claims commencing in period All still receiving JSA Still receiving JSA (same claim) Still receiving JSA (subsequent claim) All receiving another benefit(25) 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 1,711.4 645.1 346.2 298.9 101.9 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 509.7 177.7 100.7 77.0 31.3 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 547.6 195.1 104.2 90.9 31.0 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 539.7 208.3 122.2 86.1 32.5 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 554.8 191.9 114.3 77.6 30.7 
		
	
	
		Thousand
		
			  Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: Claimants subsequently leaving benefit Left JSA for work(26) (and had not returned within six months) Left JSA for other reasons (and had not returned at the six-month date) 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 964.4 395.3 569.1 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 300.7 97.2 203.5 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 321.5 107.5 214.0 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 298.9 119.9 179.1 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 332.2 161.5 170.7 
		
	
	
		Persons commencing a claim to jobseeker's allowance (JSA): Great Britain March 2002 to February 2003—Claimant aged over 50 years(27) -- Thousand
		
			   Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: All claims commencing in period All still receiving JSA Still receiving JSA (same claim) Still receiving JSA (subsequent claim) All receiving another benefit 3 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 217.3 80.3 49.8 30.5 16.9 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 69.4 23.5 15.0 8.5 5.3 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 64.1 23.8 15.3 8.4 4.6 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 70.3 26.0 17.3 8.7 5.3 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 68.9 21.4 14.4 7.0 4.8 
		
	
	
		Thousand
		
			  Status of claim six months after commencement 1,2 
			 Claim ending in period: Claimants subsequently leaving benefit Left JSA for work 4 (and had not returned within six months) Left JSA for other reasons (and had not returned at the six-month date) 
		
		
			 March 2002 to February 2003 120.1 56.3 63.8 
			 March 2002 to May 2002 40.6 15.9 24.7 
			 June 2002 to August 2002 35.7 14.2 21.5 
			 September 2002 to November 2002 39.0 18.8 20.2 
			 December 2002 to February 2003 42.7 24.2 18.5 
		
	
	(23) A person is counted only once in each period, regardless of the number of times they claim and subsequently leave each benefit. Only the first claim in any given period is counted, and it is that claim from which the six-month period has been calculated. As claimants may have more than one claim starting (and ending) within the same three month or annual period this means that the annual figures will be considerably lower than the sum of the four quarters.
	(24) The status of a claim at the six-month later period does not take account of subsequent changes after the six-month date. The status of a claim may change after the six-month point.
	(25) Claimants receiving income support or incapacity benefit where claims commenced on or after 1 March 2002. Movements to other benefits are not considered. For example a person who retires and moves to state pension will be counted as leaving JSA for other reasons.
	(26) JSA numbers for those claimants leaving on finding work show the number of people who have left JSA on finding work, working on average 16 hours per week or more, and on taking up the New Deal Employers Option and have not returned to benefit by the six-month date (benefits considered are jobseeker's allowance, income support, or incapacity benefit).
	Only the claim commencing in the time specified is considered and any claimant whose claim ends, returns to JSA and then leaves again to go into work is not counted in this category.
	Only those cases where no subsequent claim to benefit is made after leaving for work are shown. Any claimant who makes any additional claim after leaving benefit to move to work is not counted in this category, regardless of whether that claim also subsequently ends before the six months in question.
	Claimants shown in this category may in fact have returned to JSA or another benefit after the six-month point.
	Where a case is shown as having left JSA for work and not returned, this does not mean that the person is still in employment. Once a person has left the benefit system it is not possible to say what they are doing after this point.
	(27) Age is given at the point the claim commences.
	Notes:
	1. Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
	2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	3. JSA figures are based on all persons who were claiming JSA and include those receiving income-based or contribution-based and national insurance credits only cases.
	4. SDA claimants are not considered in the numbers receiving another benefit as only claims commencing on or after 1 March 2002 are included in the analysis. SDA has not been available to new claimants since 6 April 2001. From this point, disabled people, whose period of incapacity begins before the age of 20 (or 25 if in education or training before the age of 20), may have been able to receive incapacity benefit without having to satisfy the national insurance contribution conditions. SDA recipients aged below 20 at the cut-off point would have transferred on to IB at the long-term rate in April 2002. Existing recipients can continue to receive the benefit for as long as they satisfy the conditions of entitlement for the benefit. Some persons shown as leaving benefit may therefore have retained entitlement to SDA.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.

Long-Term Hospital In-Patients (Benefit)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how and when the present level of benefit payable to long-term hospital in-patients to meet day-to-day personal requirements was set.

Malcolm Wicks: The question of entitlements for hospital in-patients was originally looked at by the National Insurance Advisory Committee in 1949 shortly after the present national insurance system was introduced. The Committee recommended that after 52 weeks hospital in-patients should receive an amount sufficient to meet their day-to-day personal requirements, roughly 20 per cent. of the standard rate of State Pension.

Minimum Income Guarantee

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pension credit guarantee element recipients in each region were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is given in the following table.
	
		Percentage of pension credit guarantee element recipients previously in receipt of Minimum Income Guarantee, by region, 31 May 2004
		
			 Government office region All guarantee element recipients Guarantee element recipients converted from MIG Percentage of Guarantee element recipients converted from MIG 
		
		
			 Great Britain 2,018,185 1,635,490 81 
			 North East 115,775 95,810 83 
			 North West 274,075 225,610 82 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 190,980 155,620 81 
			 East Midlands 139,970 111,885 80 
			 West Midlands 210,305 172,370 82 
			 East of England 158,840 124,690 79 
			 London 232,585 197,800 85 
			 South East 200,790 155,980 78 
			 South West 163,980 127,560 78 
			 Wales 120,100 95,770 80 
			 Scotland 210,780 172,395 82 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Those converted from MIG are those households in receipt of MIG at 3 October 2003.
	3. Guarantee element recipients include those receiving both the guarantee element and savings element.

National Insurance Numbers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what new strategies have been (a) developed and (b) implemented by his Department since June 2001 to ensure that national insurance numbers are issued, used and controlled consistently.

Chris Pond: The Department is committed to ensuring that national insurance numbers (NINOs) are issued, used and controlled correctly. We will continue to develop and implement strategies and processes to enable us to achieve this commitment.
	In April 2001, we introduced the Enhanced NINO allocation Process (ENP). This process ensures a consistent robust approach to NINO allocation for benefit applications and for those starting work, or in employment. The ENP includes face to face interviews, the provision of more tools for verifying that documents are genuine, and comprehensive training for staff who are interviewing customers regarding applications for NINOs. We have continued to refine this process to achieve a balance between security and customer service.
	Before entitlement to benefit can be considered an individual and their partner need to satisfy section 19 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997 regarding NINO provision. This requires the customer to provide enough information and evidence to confirm that the NINO quoted on the claim is their own. Where a customer does not know their NINO, they are required to provide enough information and evidence in order that the correct NINO can be traced. If the customer does not have a NINO, they are required to verify their identity and provide enough information in order that a NINO can be issued.

National Insurance Numbers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases his Department have discovered where (a) an individual has been using more than one national insurance number and (b) a number is being used by more than one individual in each year since 1992.

Chris Pond: The information is in the tables. Cases of national insurance numbers being used by more than one individual may derive from fraud, customer error or official error; it is not possible to give a breakdown of numbers from each cause.
	
		Individuals found to be using more than one national insurance number
		
			  Number of cases 
		
		
			 2001 586 
			 2002 447 
			 2003 303 
			 2004 (28)218 
		
	
	(28) To date.
	
		Cases of a national insurance number being used by more than one individual
		
			  Number of cases 
		
		
			 2001 2,539 
			 2002 2,418 
			 2003 2,533 
			 2004 (29)1,522 
		
	
	(29) To date.
	Note:
	Information is not available prior to 2001.
	Source:
	Departmental Central Index frontline services.

National Insurance Numbers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers there have been on (a) the Departmental Central Index and (b) NIRS1/NIRS2 in each year since 1992.

Chris Pond: The information is in the tables.
	The numbers of national insurance numbers (NINOs) held on the Departmental Central Index (DCI) is greater than on NIRS1/NIRS2 as DCI also holds records for 12.5 million children; such records are only notified to NIRS2 when the children reach age 16. In addition, DCI holds NINOs allocated to customers who are over retirement pension age; these records are not notified to NIRS2 as there is no contribution liability.
	
		NINOs held on DCI at 31 December each year
		
			  Total NINOs (million) 
		
		
			 1992 71 
			 1993 75 
			 1994 76 
			 1995 77 
			 1996 77 
			 1997 79 
			 1998 80 
			 1999 81 
			 2000 82 
			 2001 83 
			 2002 84 
			 2003 85 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to the nearest million.
	Source:
	Departmental Central Index
	
		NINOs held on NIRS1/NIRS2 at 31 December each year
		
			  Total NINOs (million) 
		
		
			 1992 61 
			 1993 62 
			 1994 63 
			 1995 64 
			 1996 65 
			 1997 66 
			 1998 67 
			 1999 68 
			 2000 69 
			 2001 70 
			 2002 72 
			 2003 73 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to the nearest million.
	Source:
	Inland Revenue

National Insurance Numbers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the process is for deleting national insurance numbers.

Chris Pond: National insurance numbers are deleted where a duplicate account has been identified or where a national insurance number has been allocated but not used.
	When a national insurance number is deleted any benefits currently in payment against that national insurance number are transferred or ended. The national insurance number is then deleted completely from the database. However, just prior to deletion, a hardcopy of the account history is obtained and retained for 18 months for audit purposes.

New Deal

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have participated in the New Deal in Wansdyke.

Jane Kennedy: 430 lone parents have started the New Deal for Lone Parents in Wansdyke since the beginning of the programme in October 1998. Lone parents may have gained work through other New Deal programmes but cannot be identified separately.

New Deal

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 50 years and over in Wansdyke have participated in (a) the New Deal and (b) other employment initiatives since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: 160 individuals aged 50 years and over have participated in the New Deal programme in Wansdyke. Information on the number of people aged 50 years or over involved in employment initiatives or programmes other than the New Deal is not available.

New Deal

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the budget for the New Deal for Disabled People.

Jane Kennedy: Funding for employment programs is being considered as part of the 2004 spending review and an announcement will be made in due course.

New Deal 25-Plus Programme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of all starters on the New Deal 25-plus programme have left to enter sustained unsubsidised jobs.

Jane Kennedy: The New Deal has helped to achieve record levels of employment and has been an important boost to the economy, helping over a million people into work. Up to the end of March 2004, there were a total of 697,970 starts on New Deal 25-plus. In the same period, 178,000 people were helped into work through this programme, 117,250 of these into sustained, unsubsidised employment. Therefore almost 17 per cent. of starts have resulted so far in sustained, unsubsidised jobs.
	A total of 141,580 people (over 20 per cent.) have found sustained employment through New Deal 25-plus. However, some of these are still in receipt of a job subsidy so are not recorded as having left New Deal.
	There are currently 54,840 people participating in New Deal 25-plus and a number of these will subsequently leave the programme to a sustained unsubsidised job. The proportion of leavers from the enhanced New Deal 25-plus programme (which started in April 2001) who have left to a sustained, unsubsidised job is 25 per cent.
	New Deal 25-plus has to be considered in the context of the people it sets out to help. Most have been out of work for 18 months or more in a healthy market and are considered among our hardest to help customers, frequently with multiple barriers to employment. Helping these customers into work is a substantial achievement. Not only does the programme help people into jobs as quickly as possible, it provides those facing greater difficulties with extra help to improve their job prospects and confidence. This help can include: work experience with an employer, training to develop the skills that employers want, and practical help with applying for jobs.

Pensioner Compensation Scheme

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of benefit payments which would have been paid to the 60,000 deferred pensioners who lost their entitlements and who will benefit from the Government compensation scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of the Financial Assistance Scheme, for members of pension schemes which have wound up under funded where the employer is insolvent, are being developed in consultation with interested parties. It will not be possible to make a reliable estimate of the cost of benefit payments that would have been paid to those who will benefit until the details of who will be eligible for the scheme are agreed and until detailed information is collected from all those schemes which might be eligible. It is not therefore possible to answer the question in the form requested. However, I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement on the extent of the problem which I made on 30 June, Official Report, columns 15–16WS.

Private Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total value of private pension funds.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the market value of self-administered pension funds is collected by ONS as part of the annual balance sheet survey to self-administered pension funds and published as part of the Business Monitor Investment by insurance companies, pension funds and trusts on the National Statistics website. The latest published figure is £610 billion for end 2002.
	The value of other private pension funds is included in aggregates collected by ONS in the annual balance sheet survey to long-term insurance companies. However the aggregates cover all long-term business, including life assurance, pensions and other business, written by the companies. A split of the insurance companies' funds between pensions and other business is not available nor is any estimate of the total value of private pension funds.
	The Review of Pension Contributions Statistics recommended that
	"ONS explores with insurance companies whether it is possible to split their investment flows according to pensions and other business".
	Consultation with insurance companies indicated that this split would be too difficult for them to produce on a company basis and that the respondents would not be confident of any data provided on this basis.

Public Services (Funding)

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will identify for (a) his Department and (b) the agencies and task forces for which it is responsible each funding stream for public services in (i) the Isle of Thanet and (ii) Canterbury City local authority area.

Chris Pond: The Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies are responsible for the following funding streams to Canterbury city council and Thanet district council:
	Canterbury city council
	Rent Rebate Subsidy;
	Rent Allowance Subsidy;
	Council Tax Benefit Subsidy;
	Anti-fraud Subsidies;
	Discretionary Housing Payments;
	Administration Grant (Housing and Council Tax Benefit Schemes)
	Verification Payment Subsidy;
	Performance Standards Funding payments;
	European Social Fund Objective 3 (Human Resource Activity) Funding.
	Thanet district council
	Rent Rebate Subsidy;
	Rent Allowance Subsidy;
	Council Tax Benefit Subsidy;
	Anti-fraud Subsidies;
	Discretionary Housing Payments;
	Administration Grant (Housing and Council Tax Benefit Schemes);
	Housing Benefit Accuracy Review Payments
	Joint Working Initiative Payments;
	European Social Fund Objective 3 (Human Resource Activity) Funding.

Swale Borough Council (Housing Benefit)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what further steps he proposes to take to improve the administration of housing benefit at Swale borough council.

Chris Pond: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave him on 8 July 2004, Official Report, column 837W.

Vulnerable Customers (Payments by Cheque)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 11 May 2004, Official Report, columns 6–7WS, on vulnerable customers (payments by cheque), whether pensioners unable to get to their local Pension Service office will be able to collect emergency pension payments from the nearest Jobcentre Plus or Social Security office instead.

Chris Pond: Procedures are in place to maintain continuity of payment to avoid any inconvenience to the customer. Where the need for a replacement payment exists, each case will be treated on its merits. For example, depending on the level of urgency and need, The Pension Service may:
	issue a further cheque by post, once the loss of a earlier payment has been verified by the customer; or
	arrange for a visiting officer from the Pension Service to visit the customer at home and, in the light of individual needs either arrange to take another cheque payment to the customer, or arrange for the customer to collect a replacement cheque payment, at a nominated time from the existing range of secure sites including Jobcentre Plus offices.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan outside Kabul.

Mike O'Brien: Security remains fragile throughout Afghanistan. The north is subject to long-standing tensions between regional factions but is generally stable, with UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Mazar-e Sharif and Meymana helping to defuse tension. The New Zealand-led PRT in Bamian and the coalition PRT in Oruzgan are helping to maintain stability in central areas. There tend to be fewer security incidents in the west but units of the Afghan National Army (ANA) have deployed to Herat and Ghowr in recent months in response to violent incidents.
	Security in the south and east is more worrying, with attacks resulting in the murder of international and Afghan aid workers and officials. Seven PRTs have been established in southern and eastern provinces to help improve the security environment. Coalition forces and units of the ANA continue to pursue terrorists in these areas.
	Attempts by remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaeda to disrupt and undermine the democratic process are likely to increase as the elections approach. The UN, ISAF and the Coalition are working closely with the Afghan Government on providing a stable and secure environment for the elections. The expansion of ISAF, announced at the recent Istanbul Summit and including the UK PRTs, will help to achieve that.

Afghanistan

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Ministry of Defence on the provision of further security assistance and (b) the Department for International Development on the provision of further development assistance to the Government of Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff at all levels regularly discuss all aspects of assistance to Afghanistan with counterparts in the Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development. I chair a regular meeting on Afghanistan involving representatives of all three Departments.
	Inter-departmental co-operation on Afghanistan is highly effective. The UK contribution to expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), announced at the recent NATO Istanbul Summit, is based around the two UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams. These are run jointly by the MoD, FCO and DFID and include representatives from the two civilian departments as well as military personnel. Similarly, UK assistance to reform of the Afghan security sector is funded from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, which is jointly administered by all three Departments. The UK has £18 million available for security assistance to Afghanistan in financial year 2003–04, in addition to over £23 million contributed since 2002.
	At the recent Berlin conference on Afghanistan the UK increased our overall pledge to at least £500 million over five years for development, conflict prevention and counter-narcotics work, a 150 per cent. increase on the previous pledge of £200 million.

Bangladesh

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the ambassador of Bangladesh to the Court of St. James's in connection with corruption in Bangladesh.

Mike O'Brien: I discussed our concerns over governance and law and order issues in Bangladesh with the high commissioner of Bangladesh His Excellency Mofazzal Karim on 22 January. Officials at our high commission in Dhaka and officials from the Department for International Development regularly raise corruption issues with the Bangladeshi authorities. Our high commissioner raised our concerns with the Foreign Minister on 19 May. Donors including the UK also raised corruption issues at the Bangladesh Development Forum on 9 and 10 May. We were encouraged that the Bangladeshi Parliament passed a bill to form an independent anti-corruption committee in February. We look to the Bangladeshi Government to appoint members to this committee as soon as possible so that it may begin its vital work and to support it in that work.

British Indian Ocean Territory

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 15 June 2004, Official Report, columns 32–34WS, on the British Indian Ocean Territory, what estimate he has made of the value of the underwriting by the United Kingdom Government which would be required for the resettlement of the island.

Bill Rammell: The feasibility study found that long-term resettlement would be highly precarious. Our assessment, based on comparative costs in other Overseas Territories, is that the initial resettlement costs would be of the order of £5 million in start-up costs and £3 million to £5 million annually thereafter. But these estimates may be overly optimistic and the costs may well be higher.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the International Committee of the Red Cross has (a) visited Diego Garcia since 1 January 2001, (b) been asked to visit Diego Garcia and (c) requested that it might visit Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited Diego Garcia at any time. It has neither requested a visit, nor been asked to make a visit.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission an independent feasibility study to look at the environmental impact of the military base on Diego Garcia and the surrounding archipelago; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The US have produced a Natural Resources Management Plan for Diego Garcia, and we published the Chagos Conservation Management Plan in October 2003. Environmental issues are regularly discussed by the UK and US Governments.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the terms are of the lease of Diego Garcia to the US military with regard to (a) monetary terms and (b) contractual agreements; what mechanisms are in place to end the lease if dispute over the contract were to occur; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There is no lease of Diego Garcia to the United States military. However, in 1966 the United Kingdom concluded an agreement with the United States on the use of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Under the initial agreement of 1966, the whole territory is to remain available for the defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years from 1966, and thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless either party has given prior notice to terminate it. An agreement concluded in 1976 regulates the establishment and functioning of a United Defence Facility in Diego Garcia and matters incidental thereto.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) US Naval personnel, (b) US Air Force personnel and (c) other US military personnel are stationed on Diego Garcia in a (i) permanent and (ii) temporary capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The current US military population on Diego Garcia consists of:
	US Navy 827 (permanent), 25 (temporary)
	US Airforce 12 (permanent), 740 (temporary)
	US Army 2 (permanent), 1 (temporary)

British Indian Ocean Territory

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK judicial bodies have unrestricted access to the Diego Garcia military base; when such access last occurred; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Under the 1976 United Kingdom/United States Exchange of Notes concerning the US Defence Facility on Diego Garcia, access to Diego Garcia is in general restricted to members of the forces of the United Kingdom and of the United States, the Commissioner and public officers in the service of the British Indian Ocean Territory, representatives of the Government of the United Kingdom and of the United States and, subject to normal immigration requirements, contractor personnel.
	There have been no recent requests by a United Kingdom judicial body to visit Diego Garcia.

Burma

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position in relation to the treatment of the (a) Karen, (b) Karenni, (c) Chin and (d) Kachin peoples of Burma; and what recent representations have been made to the Burmese Government on their treatment.

Mike O'Brien: We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Burma and in particular the suffering of ethnic groups.
	The UK co-sponsored a widely supported resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21 April that condemned human rights violations suffered by ethnic groups in Burma. We fully support the efforts of Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and have called on the military regime to co-operate fully with him and allow him to visit Burma regularly.
	We regularly raise our concerns on human rights with the Burmese authorities, most recently when I met the Burmese ambassador on 1 June.
	We will continue to raise our concerns at every suitable opportunity.

Burma

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action the Government has taken to secure the release from house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mike O'Brien: We have repeatedly called on the Burmese regime to fully release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and to allow them to play an active role in national reconciliation in Burma. Most recently I raised these issues when 1 met the Burmese Ambassador on 1 June.

Energy Supplies

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the commitment outlined in Foreign Office Strategy to diversify UK energy supplies; and what steps his Department is taking to promote exports from West Africa of energy products to the UK.

Bill Rammell: The White Paper "UK International Priorities—a strategy for the FCO" identifies the promotion of international diversification of supply as an important means of achieving the long-term efficiency and stability of the international energy market.
	West Africa is of growing significance as a supplier to the international energy market. The FCO is therefore working to promote peaceful political and economic reform and to improve investment regimes and energy sector management in this and other regions. A good example in West Africa is the adoption by Nigeria, the largest oil producer in the region and host to substantial British investment, of the principles of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This initiative addresses the lack of accountability and transparency in the energy sector.
	The FCO is also promoting the security of UK and global energy supplies by promoting sustainable energy production and consumption. The establishment of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership is a good example of our work in this area.

EU Constitutional Treaty

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the areas of shared competence within the EU Constitutional Treaty where a unanimous decision of the member states will be required to enable the Union to acquire sole competence.

Denis MacShane: Article I-13 of the EU Constitutional Treaty details the areas of shared competence between the Union and the member states. In order for any of these areas to be changed to areas where the Union has exclusive competence, the Treaty would need to be changed. According to the provisions of the EU Constitutional Treaty, these changes would require an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to be convened. Changes proposed during the IGC would then be subject to unanimous agreement by all heads of all member states in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the electorate of Gibraltar will vote as part of the United Kingdom in the referendum on the European Constitution.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is sympathetic to the inclusion of the Gibraltar electorate in the franchise for the referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty, as he stated to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 25 May. As yet, however, the Government have not yet taken a decision and are continuing to consider the matter.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty the Queen has to visit Gibraltar.

Jack Straw: There are currently no plans for HM the Queen to visit Gibraltar. HRH the Princess Royal, accompanied by Rear Admiral Laurence, has just completed a very successful visit (28–30 June) in this, Gibraltar's tercentenary year.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on joint sovereignty with Spain over Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 1417.

Indonesia

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the Indonesian authorities (a) to take immediate measures to stop the violence in the Maluku, (b) for them to provide for the safety and security of both communities there and (c) to ensure that the extremist militants behind the violence are brought to justice.

Mike O'Brien: We share the hon. Member's concern about the violence in Maluku. Our embassy has kept in close contact with UN and NGOs there and is continuing to monitor the situation. On 29 April, the Acting Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security, Hari Sabarno, visited Ambon with the National Police Chief, Da'i Bachtiar and agreed to increase security personnel in order to restore order.
	We welcome the Indonesian Government's initiatives to bring peace to Maluku and continue to urge the Indonesian Government to do all they can to ensure the safety and security of communities that have been affected by the violence in the province. We, along with our EU colleagues, last raised this with Dr. Hasan Wirayuda, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, on 18 May. We have consistently made clear our view that long-term solutions to regional conflicts can only be achieved through negotiation and consultation. We fully support the Malino Peace agreement for Maluku, which brought an end to large-scale inter-communal violence.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he is giving to the new Iraqi Government to ensure the 25 per cent. quota of women is realised in future elections.

Bill Rammell: We have worked with the UN Electoral Assistance Mission to Iraq to encourage the Iraqi Interim Government to take concrete measures aimed at realising the 25 per cent. goal. As a result, the electoral law (CPA Order 96) provides that political parties should submit party lists including at least one woman candidate for every three candidates.
	We have also encouraged women candidates for political office at both local and national levels to come forward, including through support for women's conferences, such as that held in Cairo in June this year.

Iraq

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the private UK companies working on the reconstruction of Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We have details of a number of British companies which have been awarded contracts and sub-contracts for reconstruction work in Iraq. However, there is no single and comprehensive list of UK or other foreign companies working there. Although officials work closely with UK industry, British companies are not required to report these details to the Government. Some companies do not want publicity for security reasons. British companies are active in the power, water, banking, ports, construction, telecoms, security, legal services and consultancy sectors. I will write to my hon. Friend separately with the information we have on UK companies with contracts in Iraq.

Iraq

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the reinstatement of the death penalty in Iraq under the Interim Administration.

Bill Rammell: The UK opposes the death penalty as a matter of principle. We have urged the Iraqi Interim Government to abolish it.

Means-tested Benefits

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the means-tested benefits available through the Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now.

Mike O'Brien: No means-tested benefits were available to the public through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in May 1997, nor are any available now.

Mr. Brian Savio O'Connor

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government is taking to urge the Saudi Arabian authorities to release Mr. Brian Savio O'Connor, imprisoned and tortured in Saudi Arabia.

Bill Rammell: Mr. O'Connor is an Indian national arrested in March this year. The Indian authorities have consular responsibilities for his welfare. We have approached the Indian authorities, and have liaised with other diplomatic missions in Riyadh about this case. However, the reasons for Mr. O'Connor's detention remain unclear. We regularly discuss our concerns about human rights with the Saudi authorities.

Mrs. Siham Qandah

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government is taking to urge the Government of Jordan to ensure that the Christian widow, Mrs. Siham Qandah, is permitted to keep her two Christian children with her and that the attempts to have the children forcibly removed from her custody and converted to Islam are ended.

Bill Rammell: This case remains sub judice within the Islamic court system in Jordan. Through our embassy in Amman, we continue to follow the legal process and have again recently drawn the Jordanian authorities' attention to the strong concerns which the case has raised, in the UK and elsewhere, both over the welfare of Mrs. Qandah and her children, and over the underlying principles involved.

Nepal

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the ambassador of Nepal to the Court of St. James's in connection with his Government's handling of the Maoist insurgency.

Mike O'Brien: Officials talk to the ambassador of Nepal regularly about the Maoist insurgency. Most recently, Sir Jeffrey James, the UK special representative for Nepal, met him on 11 June for a wide-ranging discussion of the way forward following the appointment of the new Prime Minister.

People Trafficking

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the UK towards ratification of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	The United Kingdom has signed the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and is committed to its ratification. The protocol requires us to criminalise trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery and the removal of organs.
	The Sexual Offences Act 2003 includes offences covering trafficking into, within and out of the United Kingdom. These offences were brought into force on 1 May 2004. New offences covering trafficking for exploitation, including trafficking for the purposes of slavery, forced labour and the removal of organs, are included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Bill, which is currently before Parliament.
	We consider that, taken together with existing United Kingdom law, the commencement of the trafficking offences in clause 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill will mean we are in compliance with our legislative obligations under the protocol.
	To enable us to ratify the protocol we must first ratify the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime. We intend to ratify the convention as soon as all legislative requirements to bring our law into compliance with the convention are met.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Strapline

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out the Lord Chancellor's reasoning in proposing the Department's strapline.

David Lammy: As stated in my answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, the strapline is intended as a brief and easy to understand description of the Department's responsibilities.

Departmental Strapline

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, if he will replace the word rights with the word obligations or duties in his Department's strapline.

David Lammy: No.

Departmental Strapline

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, in what way the Department carries out its responsibilities to ensure access to justice for all under the heading of (a) rights and (b) justice as referred to in the Department's strapline.

David Lammy: Access to justice is a statutory right. The Department works to improve public access to the justice system while ensuring value for money and without incurring unsustainable cost to the taxpayer. Further detail on DCA's responsibilities and activities can be found in our Departmental Report for 2003–04 (CM 6210). Copies of the Departmental Report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Strapline

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, what relative weighting the Department gives to (a) the duties of Her Majesty's subjects and (b) the rights of Her Majesty's subjects in determining its priorities in the context of all its responsibilities in accordance with the Government's policies and priorities.

David Lammy: I refer you to the answer provided on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W. Rights are fundamentally linked with duties, and as such are not afforded separate weightings.

Departmental Employment Claims

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases against the Department, the agencies for which it is responsible and its predecessor organisations have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997 in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims.

David Lammy: Figures for m·y Department and its predecessor Department since 1997 are as follows.
	(a) One equal pay claim
	(b) 34 sex discrimination claims
	(c) 17 race discrimination claims
	(d) 21 disability discrimination claims
	(e) 38 unfair dismissal claims.
	There have been:
	(i) Two instances of costs awarded against respondents.
	(ii) Three instances of costs awarded against applicants.
	There has been:
	(A) £164,818.09 paid in settlement
	(B) £22,055.37 spent contesting claims from 2002–to date.

Human Rights Act/Freedom of Information Act

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what obligations British subjects have under (a) the Human Rights Act 1998 and (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

David Lammy: The legal obligations arising under both Acts are imposed on public authorities and not on British subjects as such.

Magistrates Shadowing Scheme

Tim Boswell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Magistrates Shadowing Scheme.

Christopher Leslie: The Magistrates Shadowing Scheme is now in its second phase. Its purpose is twofold. Firstly, it seeks to promote participation and inclusiveness from black and other minority ethnic communities in the criminal justice system and so their representation within the magistracy. Secondly, it aims to improve diversity, promote mentoring and remove cultural barriers by making magistrates more accessible to the wider community that they serve.
	The scheme provides participants with an invaluable insight into the role of magistrates. It is currently operating in 12 areas across the country:
	Derby and South Derbyshire
	Walsall
	Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale)
	Merseyside
	Leicester
	Nottingham
	South-west London
	Oxfordshire
	West Hertfordshire (Watford and Hemel Hempstead)
	Birmingham
	Bradford
	Cardiff
	Almost 100 people from Black and minority ethnic communities are shadowing 200 magistrates. This is approximately double the size of the pilot scheme and reflects the success of the project to date. Participants in the current scheme took place in a learning seminar focusing on the role of the magistracy and its place in the criminal justice system during the weekend of 2–4 July 2004 at a conference centre in Daventry.
	Feedback from those who have participated in the scheme indicates that it is successfully equipping them to challenge misconceived perceptions of the magistracy and is improving confidence in the criminal justice system among minority communities.

Political Party Manifestos

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will ask the Electoral Commission to issue guidance to political parties on the rules and conventions that apply to manifestos.

Christopher Leslie: We have no plans to request that such guidance be issued. It is for the political parties themselves to decide on matters relating to their manifestos.

Means-tested Benefits

Peter Viggers: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the means-tested benefits available through his Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now.

David Lammy: There are no means-tested benefits available through my Department for Constitutional Affairs and its agencies. However, my Department continues to make available, as it did in May 1997, legal aid in civil and criminal matters to those who qualify under the respective schemes. In the case of civil legal aid most legal aid is means-tested; the exceptions are Special Children Act cases and cases before the Mental Health Review Tribunal. Since April 2001, most criminal legal aid has not been means-tested; but the Government have published a draft Bill, the aim of which is to reinstate some means testing.

Ministerial Air Travel

Paul Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list for each year since 1997 the number of miles flown by each Minister on official departmental business.

David Lammy: It is not possible for my Department to provide the full detailed information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2003–04 is currently being assembled and will be published shortly. All ministerial and civil service travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers, and Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Air Travel

Roy Beggs: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total cost of air travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain was for (a) Ministers and (b) staff in the Department in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Total cost incurred by my Department on air travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain in 2003–04 for (a) Ministers, was £2,131.65 and (b) staff (from the private offices), was £3,264.62.
	It is not possible to provide information for staff from other areas of the Department without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. All ministerial and civil service travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers, and Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Mary Peters Athletic Track

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have to upgrade the Mary Peters athletic track; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Mary Peters track is owned by Belfast city council and it is a matter for the council to determine whether, and if so how, to upgrade it.

Farm Payment Applications

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in respect of each category of farm payments, how many applications, and of what value, were due to have been paid by 30 June but have not yet been paid; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: In Northern Ireland the number and value of farm payment applications due to have been paid by 30 June but that have not yet been paid are broken down as follows.
	
		
			  Applications unpaid Value (£ million) 
		
		
			 Beef Special Premium 14,320 3.9 
			 Slaughter Premium 2,975 1.7 
			 Suckler Cow Premium 2,204 4.1 
			 Extensification Payment 5,150 11.6

Ombudsman

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to amend legislation to enable Northern Ireland Members of Parliament to submit complaints to the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.

Paul Murphy: The jurisdiction of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman relates to specified Northern Ireland bodies, which fall within the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly. That is why the Ombudsman (NI) Order 1996 makes provision for complaints to be referred to the Ombudsman by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly rather than Members of Parliament. There are no plans to amend the legislation in respect of referral of complaints to the Ombudsman. Meanwhile, the rights of the citizen to have effective access to the Ombudsman through any of the 108 Members of the Assembly remain in place.

Public Inquiries

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public inquiries are taking place and are planned into the murders of members of (a) the army, both regular and Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment part-time, (b) the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its Reserve and (c) victims of terrorism since 1969.

Paul Murphy: In my statement to Parliament on 1 April 2004, I set out the Government's intentions with respect to inquiries following the publication of the reports compiled by Justice Peter Cory. As I said then, Justice Cory's reports raise serious questions which it is right to address further.
	I fully acknowledge the sacrifice that members of the security forces have made in the pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland. I am acutely aware of the pain and suffering endured by their families and the families of all the victims of terrorism.
	In all cases the Government wants to ensure that the truth is established as far as possible, and that the perpetrators of crime are brought to justice. In most cases the Government believes that criminal investigations represent the best way of achieving this.

Right to Buy

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment the Government have made of the adequacy of the notice given to Housing Executive and housing association tenants that applications to buy their homes received after 18 May will be subject to new arrangements whenever they are finalised; and if he will make a statement on the new arrangements.

John Spellar: I am entirely satisfied with the arrangements for consulting about changes to the house sales scheme.
	Applications received after 18 May will continue to be processed but will be subject to whatever new arrangements are introduced. The proposed changes, which may be subject to amendment following the completion of the consultation, are designed to take account of the aspirations of tenants to move to owner occupation without compromising the needs of those who continue to depend on social housing.

Sports Institute

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sports are catered for within the Sports Institute for Northern Ireland; and what additional sports he anticipates will be added over the next five years.

Angela Smith: The Sports Institute for Northern Ireland offers services to athletes from Rugby, Athletics, GAA, Hockey, Motor Sports, Soccer, Cycling, Squash, Snooker, Boxing, Table Tennis, Judo, Rowing, Swimming Ice Skating and Sailing. There are no plans for additional sports to be added over the next five years as it is anticipated that the needs of athletes, rather than the sports to which they belong, will be catered for within the Institute in the future.

Museum of Sea and Sky

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have taken place between Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland and the landowners at Titanic Quarter in relation to the establishment of a Museum of Sea and Sky at that location.

Angela Smith: MAGNI has been involved in discussion over a period of some two years with Titanic Quarter Ltd. in relation to acquiring a site on or adjacent to the Titanic slipways. The land take required would be approximately 3 acres. Owing to uncertainties about the development mix on the site and the possible change of ownership to a new development company, this issue has not yet been resolved.

Working Time Directive

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in his Department have (a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in his Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: The number of employees in the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments who:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 (a) have signed a formal opt out form is 916 
			 (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive is 0 
			 (c) have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available (30)43 
		
	
	(30) The figure does not include a figure from the Department for Regional Development as the data is not recorded centrally and is therefore not readily available.
	We remain committed to keeping the number of employees who are required to work in excess of 48 hours a week to the absolute minimum, commensurate with meeting business needs.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Police Stations

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an assessment of the availability of cell capacity in police stations.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not maintain central records of the availability of cell capacity in police stations. However, from police forces we estimate the number of cells in use, to be in the order of 5,500.

CCTV

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional plans he has to assist those areas that did not qualify for CCTV funding in the past to receive CCTV in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Home Office invested £170 million in 684 public area CCTV schemes through the CCTV Initiative under the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP). This Initiative closed at the end of 2002–03.
	After the conclusion of this programme, crime reduction funding has been directly allocated to local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Basic Command Units to enable them to tackle local crime priorities using a number of interventions including CCTV.

Advisory Panel on Country Information

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Advisory Panel on Country Information.

Des Browne: The members of the Advisory Panel on Country Information are:
	Professor Stephen Castles, Director, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford. Chair
	Dr. Khalid Koser, Migration Research Unit, Department of Geography University College London
	Professor Gil Loescher, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
	Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Centennial Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
	Professor Vaughan Robinson, Department of Geography, University of Wales Swansea
	The Immigration Appellate Authority: Andrew Jordan, Vice President, IAT
	The Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House): Lavinia Allison, Business Director and Secretary to the Council
	International Crisis Group: Charles Radcliffe, Vice President
	International Centre for Migration Policy Development: Gottfried Zuercher, Deputy Director General
	International Organisation for Migration: Jan de Wilde, Chief of Mission
	The Refugee Council: Anna Reisenberger
	The Royal Geographical Society: Professor Richard Black (University of Sussex)
	UNHCR: Oldrich Andrysek, Protection Information Section; Christian Mahr, Legal Officer, London Office

Asylum Seekers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers entered the United Kingdom through Heathrow (a) last year and (b) in each of the last three months for which figures are available.

Des Browne: The requested information is unavailable and could only be produced at disproportionate cost. The table shows asylum applications to the United Kingdom by port and in country.
	
		Applications(31) received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 2003, January to March 2004
		
			  Total Applications Applied at port Applied in country 
		
		
			 2003 49,370 13,810 35,560 
			 Jan 2004 3,030 770 2,260 
			 Feb 2004 2,900 705 2,190 
			 Mar 2004 3,015 650 2,365 
		
	
	(31) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5
	Information on asylum applications is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many units of accommodation in Kent are kept vacant for the use of asylum seekers by the National Asylum Support Service.

Des Browne: holding answer 1 July 2004
	Kent is not a designated dispersal area. The National Asylum Support Service does not have any properties in Kent for use by asylum seekers who have been dispersed. There is a 600 bedspace induction centre in Dover with accommodation in Dover, Margate and Ashford. A certain number of vacancies are needed in order to manage the flux in the Induction Centre.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has commissioned into the skills and qualifications held by (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees.

Des Browne: The Home Office has conducted a skills audit of refugees, in conjunction with the Skills Audit Working Group which included representatives from both Government Departments and NGOs.
	Questionnaires were posted to those people who received a positive decision on their asylum claim over a three-month period, and these collected information on respondents' language skills, qualifications and levels of education, and recent employment experiences.
	The results of the survey have now been analysed and the report is being prepared for release.

ASBOs

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of anti-social behaviour orders issued in the south Wales police area in each year since the orders were introduced.

Hazel Blears: Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced in April 1999. The number of ASBOs granted and notified to the Home Office for the South Wales area is none for 1999, one for 2000, three for 2001, three for 2002, 29 for 2003, and three for January to March 2004. A total of 39.
	Across England and Wales, 2,455 ASBOs were granted between April 1999 and March 2004.

Commission for Racial Equality

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants have been made by the Commission for Racial Equality to (a) churches, (b) temples, (c) mosques and (d) synagogues.

Fiona Mactaggart: Although this year the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is funding one project that was initiated and is co-ordinated by a Christian group, the project is not of a religious nature and the CRE has not given financial assistance to any other church, temple, mosque, synagogue or other place of worship.

Commission for Racial Equality

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements the Commission for Racial Equality has made regarding the pensions of staff employed by racial equality councils; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Commission for Racial Equality is reviewing the future of the scheme and hopes to be able to consult members shortly.

Commission for Racial Equality

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his response is to the recent Commission for Racial Equality report on racism in the Metropolitan Police.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government is considering the Commission for Racial Equality's interim report into racism in the police service and will be working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities to co-ordinate the promotion of race equality across the police service. The final report is expected early in 2005.

Correspondence

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 17 March 2004, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Withington, on behalf of his constituents Mohammad and Nasreen Afzal.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 June 2004
	The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 June 2004.

Criminal Justice System Race Unit

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the (a) work and (b) achievements of the Criminal Justice System Race Unit.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 8 June 2004
	The Criminal Justice System Race Unit (CJS Race Unit) was announced in November 2002 to get beneath the surface of the Race and the Criminal Justice System figures (S.95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991) and understand the process through which discrimination may be occurring in the CJS. After consultation with stakeholders the Unit's priorities were identified as:
	Stop and Search;
	Developing Statistics which Drive Change;
	Victim and Witness Satisfaction; and
	Sentencing.
	In recognition of the importance of working with local services, the Unit's work is underpinned by work with Local Criminal Justice Boards providing advice, guidance and support on race, confidence and community engagement issues.
	Detailed are the Unit's achievements to date. The CJS Race Unit has:
	Commissioned an overview report from the Institute for Criminal Policy research, King's College London, to be published with the next set of S.95 statistics, aimed at providing existing statistics to a broader audience and putting them into greater context;
	Commenced a fundamental review of the Race and CJS statistics, which is being undertaken by consultants from Portsmouth university. The aim is to establish what statistics should be collected, how they should be collected and how to produce statistics which can effectively inform policy development and evaluation and provide a tool for local management. The review will be reporting later this year;
	Worked closely with the Deputy Lord Chief Justice and Senior Presiding Judge to arrive at a specification for research into Courts to assess whether there is any quantitative evidence of different sentencing between people in different BME and white populations;
	Run a series of community workshops with young people on the impact of stop and search and Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, on relationships with the police;
	Set up the Stop and Search Action Team which brings together key officials concerned with stop and search to ensure that there is no duplication of effort, resources are used to their best effect and, that a single message is communicated to police forces, and others;
	Together with the Police Leadership and Powers Unit, developed interim guidance on the use of stop and search for forces with final guidance planned for December 2004;
	Facilitated stop and search arrest rates featuring in the Police Performance and Assessment Framework;
	Started practical work with selected police forces to reduce disproportionality;
	Working with Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Federation to develop a toolkit for supervisors to ensure the effective management in the use of stop and search;
	Worked to ensure that BME issues are integral to delivering CJS customer initiatives including walkthroughs and local communications; and
	Commissioned joint research into the needs of young Black men as victims of crime.

Departmental Administration Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the administrative costs of his Department were in each financial year since 1996–97.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 28 June 2004
	I refer the right hon. Member to the administration cost figures that are shown in the Home Office Departmental Report 2004 (HODR) and the Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000 (HOAR) mentioned as follows. Copies of these reports are available in the Library.
	HODR 2004—Section 6 Finance and Staffing, Table 5: Home Office Administration Cost, years 1998–99 to 2005–06, page 134. Figures calculated on a resource accounting basis.
	HOAR 1999–2000—Section 5 Financial Reports, Running Costs, years 1994–95 to 2001–02, page 85. Figures calculated on a cash accounting basis. Running cost is the cash accounting term for administration costs.

Doorstep Selling

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications for police policy and practice of the recent Office of Fair Trading report on doorstep selling.

Hazel Blears: The Office of Fair Trading Report on doorstep selling is currently under consideration and the Government's response is due within 90 days of receipt of the report (which came out on 12 May). That consideration includes examining with colleagues in other Government Departments and the police service the scope for reviewing existing police policy and procedures in this area.

Drug Treatment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the budget for the drug control programme was spent on (a) enforcement and (b) treatment in 2003–04.

Caroline Flint: Planned direct annual expenditure for tackling drugs in 2003–04 is set out in the table, broken down for each aim of the National Drug Strategy:
	
		
			  £ million Percentage 
		
		
			 Protecting Young People 149 12 
			 Reducing Supply 380 30.5 
			 Safeguarding Communities 212 17.1 
			 Drug Treatment 503 40.4 
			 Total 1,244 — 
		
	
	Source:
	Updated Drug Strategy 2002.

EU Accession States Entrants

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the number of people coming from the eastern and central European accession states since 1 May has differed from his prediction.

Des Browne: The Government did not make any predictions about the number of people coming to the UK from the accession states prior to 1 May.
	Last week we published early management information from the Worker Registration Scheme, which proved that most media speculation about the numbers of new arrivals prior to enlargement was totally unfounded.
	Just over 8,000 workers have come from the accession countries since 1 May and registered on the Worker Registration Scheme during May and June. In addition, at least 14,400 (60 per cent. of the total) citizens of the accession countries who were already in the UK before 1 May have taken the opportunity to register and legitimise their status. Early indications suggest that numbers coming in from abroad have peaked, with numbers for late June 25 per cent. down on those for late May.

Excessive Drinking

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will take steps to make (a) breweries and (b) bars responsible for the cost of damage caused by excessive drinking, with particular reference to (i) street cleaning and (ii) police time.

Hazel Blears: The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, published on 15 March 2004 recommended that the Government consult with the alcohol industry to draw up voluntary social responsibility schemes for producers and retailers. These schemes will incorporate a financial contribution from the industry towards the cost of the harms caused by excessive drinking. This contribution will go into a local fund and will be allocated according to local priorities, with a national fund for projects designed to tackle alcohol-related harm.

Departmental Refurbishment Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs his Department has incurred in refurbishing the Home Office estate in each financial year since 1996–97.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 28 June 2004
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2004, Official Report columns 1408W-1409W to the hon. member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Elfyn Llwyd). The information requested in respect of the years 1996–97 to 1998–99 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Foreign Workers

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy for dealing with foreign nationals working illegally in the UK.

Des Browne: holding answer 8 July 2004
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 22 June 2004, Official Report, column 1371W.

Identity Cards

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments on the potential uses of identity cards.

Des Browne: We are involved in a wide range of discussions across Government and with key stakeholders. In addition to the evidence I and my hon. Friend gave to the Home Affairs Select Committee, colleagues in Health, Education and the Department for Work and Pensions also gave evidence showing how ID cards could simplify access to services and help reduce fraud.

Immigration

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the representatives of Mr. Shams Uddin Ahmed, Ref: A534268, were informed in June that no decision had been reached regarding Mr. Ahmed's application for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom in the light of the letter from the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Christchurch dated 28 April 2004.

Des Browne: holding answer 5 July 2004
	The Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau (INEB) use the General Case Information Database (GCID) when answering telephone application inquiries. Unfortunately, GCID had not been updated with the decision at the time the representatives called.
	On 1 July, a letter was sent to Mr. Ahmed's representatives apologising for both the delay and the misleading information given in response.

Immigration

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the decision was taken to grant Mr. Shams Uddin Ahmed, Ref: A534268, leave to remain in the United Kingdom; and by whom it was taken.

Des Browne: holding answer 5 July 2004
	Mr. Ahmed was granted indefinite leave to remain by the Managed Migration Directorate on 1 July 2004.

Immigration

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department intends to provide an estimate of the number of illegal immigrants in the United Kingdom.

Des Browne: holding answer 5 July 2004
	There is currently no method for estimating the number of illegal immigrants in the UK. The Government have commissioned research into the methods used in other countries to estimate the size of their illegal populations in order to define methods appropriate for the UK. Work on this is ongoing.
	The work required is challenging because, by definition, illegal migrants fall outside of official statistics and are therefore difficult to measure. People illegally present in the UK are also motivated to ensure they remain hidden, which is a challenge to conducting research.

Market Testing

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of each market test process in 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the cost of each market test process in 1997 is not held centrally and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

National Asylum Support Service

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the staff-customer ratio is for those contacting or receiving services from the National Asylum Support Service, broken down by (a) all staff, (b) staff dealing with customers face-to-face, (c) call centre staff and (d) staff processing claims without customer contact.

Des Browne: There are currently 1,308 staff in the National Asylum Support Service, including temporary staff. Of these, 206 staff primarily deal with customers face-to-face. There are eight dedicated staff working in the National Asylum Support Service Telephone Enquiry Bureau. It is not possible to provide details of staff processing claims without customer contact as most will have some contact by telephone with customers at some point.

Neighbourhood Watch

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his relations with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office has worked in partnership with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) for a number of years. And, in 2003, provided a grant of £350,000 to help them out with their financial difficulties.
	It recently came to light though that the NNWA has, without authorisation, registered the Neighbourhood Watch name and logos as its own trademarks. These are Crown copyright and public assets. We are taking steps to recover the name and logos to public ownership.

Overseas Doctors

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reform the immigration procedures for doctors from overseas to enable those who wish to work and train in the UK to do so more quickly.

Des Browne: There are currently no plans to change procedures specifically for the admission to the UK of overseas doctors. Doctors from outside the European economic area who wish to work in the UK normally require a work permit or permission to work through the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).
	All doctor posts are deemed in shortage which means Work Permit (UK) applies a simplified work permit application procedure for these posts. In the period April 2003 to March 2004 4,377 work permits were approved for a range of posts requiring doctors.
	The HSMP scheme is a points based scheme designed to allow individuals with exceptional personal skill and experience to come to or remain in the UK to seek and take up work. In the period April 2003 to March 2004 699 HSMP applications were approved for a range of posts requiring doctors.
	In addition, the immigration rules also make separate provision for postgraduate doctors to come to the United Kingdom to continue their training without requiring a work permit.

Police

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on police efficiency of the obligation upon police officers to be available for jury service, as set out in the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The reform of the jury service provisions was a recommendation contained in Lord Justice Auld's Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales. Jury service is an extremely important civic duty. For too long a large number of people have been excused from serving on a jury because of their profession or position in society. The changes contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 send a clear message that serving the community as a juror is the responsibility of everyone. Expanding the pool of potential jurors will ensure that juries better reflect the communities from which they are drawn and this in turn should improve public confidence in the criminal justice system.
	No formal assessment has been conducted of the effect of these measures on police efficiency. However, we expect that the guidance issued to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau staff will allow individual officers who are summoned to defer jury service where there are good operational or personal reasons for doing so.

Police

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether extra resources will be made available to police forces to help facilitate the development of forces' intelligence IT systems and the smooth transfer of data to a national database.

Caroline Flint: In my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's response to the House on 22 June 2004, following publication of Sir Michael Bichard's report he made it clear that the Government shall introduce a national intelligence system. The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the Home Office to take this work forward. This will include building upon existing in force and cross force systems.

Police

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the intended reduction of Stage 2 police probationer training from 15 weeks to 12 weeks;
	(2)  for what reason Stage 2 police probationer training is being reduced from 15 weeks to 12 weeks;
	(3)  what changes will be made to Stage 2 police probationer training to facilitate the intended reduction of training from 15 weeks to 12 weeks;
	(4)  which aspects of Stage 2 police probationer training will receive less time as a result of the intended reduction Stage 2 probationer training from 15 weeks to 12 weeks.

Hazel Blears: The reduction of Stage 2 of police probationer training has taken place within the context of discussions with Centrex over their budget for 2004–05. Representatives of Centrex, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and force training managers considered the length of Stage 2 in detail and concluded that 12 weeks would be sufficient to impart a fully comprehensive probationer training programme. I am satisfied that the reduction in length of Stage 2 will in no way affect the quality of the programme.
	The 12 week programme will embrace the principles of practice-based learning and community involvement, and focus on the role and context of policing. In response to force feedback, there will be intakes every six weeks. There will be no general increase of class size and no change in the probationer-to-trainer ratio.
	The content of the law aspects of the course has been thoroughly reviewed in consultation with force training managers to remove any duplication of teaching. Some material has been changed from traditional classroom training to self-study.
	The relatively small amount of basic public order training delivered to new recruits will be removed, but forces will continue to deliver public order training during Stage 3. Extensive training is available for those officers who choose to specialise in public order. This change is fully supported by force training managers.
	Case file preparation will be removed as forces agree that probationers should focus their initial training on the basic principles of evidence gathering, leaving the technical aspects of case file preparation to Stage 3. However, training on statements will be retained.
	Passing out parades will be withdrawn, as the philosophy of the modernised, restructured programme is to encourage probationers to take greater personal responsibility for their development, and in particular their fitness.
	All of these changes have been made in consultation with key stakeholders, who are content that the approach taken will not impact negatively on the provision of Stage 2 probationer training. The programme will still impart all the essential components of the 15 week course.
	A new probationer training programme which is under development, will see a shift away from residential training to learning in the workplace and focus on delivery in the community. These new methods of delivering recruit training have been successfully piloted in five forces.

Post Mortems

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of deaths in UK hospitals were followed by post mortems in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Figures on place of death are collected at death registration. Most post mortems are ordered by coroners but a small proportion (about three per cent. all post mortems in England and Wales) are ordered by doctors. Information on post mortems carried out at the request of doctors is not collected at death registration in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales information collected at death registration on post mortems ordered by doctors has been of variable quality during the last ten years. The impact on overall proportions of deaths with a post mortem will be small. The table as follows provides the best available estimate of the proportion of deaths in UK hospitals which were followed by a post mortem.
	
		Number of deaths in hospitals(32) and the percentage which were followed by a post mortem examination(33), United Kingdom, 1993 to 2002 3
		
			Number of deaths in hospitals Percentage of deaths in hospitals which were followed by a post mortem examination 
		
		
			 1993 343,038 18.6 
			 1994 325,574 18.0 
			 1995 338,978 17.1 
			 1996 338,036 17.3 
			 1997 333,360 18.4 
			 1998 335,669 18.3 
			 1999 338,816 18.4 
			 2000 333,164 19.3 
			 2001 333,228 18.2 
			 2002 340,294 17.3 
		
	
	(32) Number of deaths which occurred in general and psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	(33) Figures for England and Wales include all deaths which occurred in hospital where a post mortem was ordered by either a doctor or a coroner. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland include deaths which occurred in hospital where the post mortem was ordered by a procurator fiscal or coroner, figures for post mortems ordered by doctors are not available.
	(34) Data are for deaths occurring per calendar year for England and Wales, and deaths registered per calendar year for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics, General Register Office Scotland, and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Active Communities Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department ensures that staff and volunteers in organisations which receive grants from (a) the Active Communities Directorate, (b) the Charities Unit and (c) the Civil Renewal Unit, where those organisations work with children, are subject to Criminal Record checks; and whether grants are conditional on such checks being completed.

Fiona Mactaggart: Obtaining Criminal Record checks for staff and volunteers is not a universal condition of all grants made by the Active Communities Directorate. Such checks are routinely carried out in the small number of organisations we currently fund that work with children.

Active Communities Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will list organisations that have received grants from (a) the Active Communities Directorate, (b) the Charities Unit and (c) the Civil Renewal Unit in each year since their inception; and what the value was of each grant received;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a list of organisations which have received grants from (a) the Active Communities Directorate, (b) the Charities Unit and (c) the Civil Renewal Unit in each of the last two years, including (i) the level of grant, (ii) the specific project for which the organisation received funding and (iii) the results of any evaluation of the projects which have received funding.

Fiona Mactaggart: Last year, the work of the Active Community Unit was expanded to incorporate a Charities Unit and a Civil Renewal Unit in a new Active Communities Directorate.
	A list of organisations and the amounts of grant they received from the Active Communities Directorate, including the Civil Renewal Unit, since their inception, has been placed in the Library. The Charities Unit made no grants.
	For details on grants made by the former Active Community Unit, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 562W.

Widows and Widowers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many widows or widowers waited for (a) an inquest and (b) for the registrar's form to be sent after the inquest in each year from 1997 to 2002, broken down by periods of three months.

Paul Goggins: Unfortunately the information requested is not held centrally.

Work Permits

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued in 2003.

Des Browne: 145,351 work permits were issued in the calendar year 2003, of which 73,866 were permissions given to foreign nationals already in the UK in another capacity.
	Over 25,000 applications for work permits were refused in the same period.

Yarl's Wood

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the inquiry into the fire at Yarl's Wood to be (a) completed and (b) published.

Des Browne: We expect Stephen Shaw's inquiry into the events at Yarl's Wood on 14–15 February 2002 to be completed this summer. We will wish to consider the reports findings very carefully, but I can give assurance that we will arrange for it to be published as soon as possible following its receipt.

DEFENCE

Chemical and Biological Weapons

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2004, Official Report, column 138W, whether the UK Government and US Administration have concluded that, in the light of circumstances prevailing at this time, the US should base chemical and biological counter-weapon materials on UK territory;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2004, Official Report, column 150W, whether the UK Government and US Administration have concluded, in the light of circumstances prevailing at this time, that US aircraft armed with nuclear weapons may use UK airspace.

Geoff Hoon: I am withholding this information under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Research and Development

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what civil projects have benefited from his Department's research and development support for science, engineering and technology since 1997.

Adam Ingram: Through the Defence Industrial Policy, the Ministry of Defence is committed to co-sponsoring science and technology research that may bring benefits to both civil and defence applications. MOD has also developed new procurement processes and commercial conditions to enable fuller exploitation of the technology development it funds, both for Defence and in the civil sector.
	There is a multitude of ways in which civil projects have benefited from MOD's support for science, engineering and technology since 1997. These include direct funding, access to research and access to MOD's extensive research facilities. MOD also works closely with the DTI in co-funding aerospace projects with the DTI Civil Aerospace and Demonstration Programme, and with DTI and the Research Councils through the setting up of Defence and Aerospace Research Partnerships.
	There are many specific examples of the civil sector benefiting from MOD's research and development support, including the use of advanced composite materials by Airbus in the new A380, QinetiQ's development of a medical system to aid cancer treatment, and the licensed transfer of military aircrew helmet materials technology for use by a Cornish company that manufactures marine safety helmets.
	A large number of companies have been assisted by the Defence Diversification Agency, to varying degrees.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions (a) he, (b) ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met (i) members of the Saudi Arabian (A) Government and (B) Royal family and (ii) representatives of BAE Systems to discuss the possibility of selling Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft ordered for the Royal Air Force to Saudi Arabia; where and when these meetings took place; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has a long-standing interest in developments in Royal Air Force operational doctrine, aircraft and weapons systems, and officials from both countries frequently discuss such developments. These discussions have included the role and performance of Eurofighter Typhoon. This interest on the part of the RSAF in Typhoon has also been discussed at a range of meetings between MOD officials and BAE Systems representatives. Information on the dates and locations of such meetings is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Defence Ministers have held no such discussions with the Saudi Arabian Government or Royal Family, or with representatives of BAE Systems.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2004, Official Report, columns 1346–7W, on Eurofighter, what stage discussions regarding the possibility of selling Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft ordered for the Royal Air Force to other countries without their first being delivered to the RAF have reached; whether these Typhoon aircraft would come from (a) Tranche 1 and (b) Tranche 2 of production for the RAF; whether discussions have taken place with (i) Singapore, (ii) Saudi Arabia, (iii) Austria, (iv) South Korea and (v) Switzerland; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As indicated by my earlier reply, RAF delivery schedules for Typhoon might be adjusted in order to provide for export of the aircraft. Any such adjustment would take into account the needs of the RAF as well as the benefits of export orders and would have to be made in agreement with our international partners. As part of our normal support for defence exports, we have had discussions with a number of countries regarding Typhoon. The details of these discussions are sensitive and I am withholding the information under Section 1b of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Austria has already signed an order for 18 Typhoon, which industry in the United Kingdom and in our partner nations are working together to fulfil. Announcements will be made as and when further export orders are confirmed.

Export Support

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 351W, what the reasons were for the increased expenditure of the export support teams.

Adam Ingram: The increased expenditure for the Export Support Team figures for 2003–04 compared with the previous year was due largely to the inclusion of ammunition, which was charged to single service budgets in previous years. As indicated in the previous answer, costs for 2001–02 were not recorded on a basis fully comparable with later years for technical reasons.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future military role he plans for Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to change Gibraltar's current military role, which centres on providing a forward mounting base and other facilities to support overseas operations. This role will continue to be kept under regular review.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has officially to acknowledge Gibraltar's contribution during the second world war.

Adam Ingram: The Government will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war on 10 July 2005. The events on that day will recognise the contribution of all those, service and civilian, home and overseas, who took part in the war. There are no separate plans concerning Gibraltar's contribution during world war 2.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Gibraltar Regiment.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1528W.

Hawk 128

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates his Department's Investment Approvals Board considered the decision to meet the Ministry of Defence's advanced jet trainer requirement through the purchase from BAE Systems of Hawk 128 aircraft.

Adam Ingram: The Investment Approvals Board met to consider the business case for the advanced jet trainer on the following dates in 2003: 12 May, 27 May and 4 June.

HMP3 Fleet

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the anticipated in-service date is for the HMP3 fleet; and whether he expects it to be achieved within the specified time scale.

Adam Ingram: The HMP3 programme is on schedule to meet the Harrier GR9/T12 in-service date of September 2006.

HMS Trafalgar

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the grounding of HMS Trafalgar in November 2002 caused damage to the submarine's nuclear reactor; whether the boat was carrying a nuclear weapon at the time; and if he will make statement.

Adam Ingram: No damage was caused to HMS Trafalgar's nuclear reactor as a result of the grounding incident in November 2002. The Strategic Defence Review made clear that Trident is the UK's only nuclear weapon. It is not carried onboard Trafalgar Class submarines.

Hooding

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the orders given to UK soldiers regarding the use of hoods after arrest and during detention of military combatants in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 14 June 2004
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 July 2004, Official Report, column 721W, to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood).

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) women and (b) prisoners under 18 years of age are in detention in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: As of 7 July 2004, no women and one internee under 18 years of age were being held in the UK detention facility at Shaibah in Iraq.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reply to the question from the hon. Member for Camarthen East and Dinefwr of 1 March 2004, ref 158865, on the exhumation of bodies.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 June 2004
	I replied to the hon. Member on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 358W.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a summary of all cases involving alleged violence to Iraqi individuals by British forces, including (a) the incident complained of, (b) who made the complaint, (c) evidence considered, (d) the detailed findings and conclusions and (e) which have ended in ruling of no case to answer.

Adam Ingram: 27 cases involving alleged violence to Iraqi individuals by British forces that have been subject to investigation by Service Police have so far concluded that there was no case to answer. 23 of these relate to operational incidents and four to allegations involving detention. A formal complaint is not a prerequisite for a Service Police investigation. I am withholding detailed information on specific cases under Section 4 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what immunities will be enjoyed by UK armed forces operating in Iraq following the transfer of sovereignty in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: A new version of Coalition Provisional Authority Order 17, agreed by the Iraqi Government, grants the Multinational Force in Iraq immunity from Iraqi jurisdiction.
	The order may be viewed at www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations/index.html.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his reply to the Question reference 174620, on Iraq (detainees), what guidance the Standard Operating Instruction contained on the use of hoods on apprehended persons prior to its amendment on 30 September 2003.

Adam Ingram: (holding answer 5 July 2004): Prior to the amendment made on 30 September 2003, the Standard Operating Instruction on the Policy for Apprehending, Handling and Processing of Detainees and Internees made no reference to the use of hoods.

Iraq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2004, Official Report, columns 144–45W, on Iraq, how many visits have been made by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross to places of detention administered by the UK in Iraq; on what dates the visits were made; and where the visits were to.

Adam Ingram: The only United Kingdom detention facility is the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility at Shaibah. Since its opening on 20 December 2003 there have been three visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross: 10–12 February 2004; 1–3 April and 17–19 May.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between the Integrated Project Teams for the Carriers and the Future Joint Combat Aircraft about the requirement for the JCA.

Adam Ingram: There is continuous liaison between the two Integrated Project Teams as part of routine business. This includes extensive information sharing and regular joint planning meetings to manage the ship and air interface.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his US counterparts on the timescale for the Future Joint Combat Aircraft project.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 June 2004 (Official Report, column 1177W) to my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochabar (Mr Stewart). Regular discussions with the US Administration include the timescale for the Future Joint Combat Aircraft project.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the export potential of the Eurofighter/Typhoon.

Adam Ingram: We believe Eurofighter Typhoon is a world-class aircraft with strong export potential. The Defence Export Services Organisation of the Ministry of Defence is fully involved in supporting United Kingdom industry's efforts to promote this aircraft. The first order from outside the partner nations has been placed by Austria, and a number of other countries have expressed an interest in ordering the aircraft.

Military Vehicles (Protective Hardening)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what programme he has for installing armour or protective hardening to the cabs and undersides of military and logistics vehicles on foreign duty in areas of potential terrorist attack.

Adam Ingram: Armoured vehicles are designed to provide protection against a range of threats. Where the operational situation requires, additional protection can be, and is, added to enhance the level of protection provided. The appliqué armour used on Challenger 2 and Warrior when deployed on operations is an example of this. For in-service logistic vehicles, the provision of protection is addressed on a case by case basis. Future logistic fleets will be designed to take appliqué armour or riot protection when required.

PFI Projects (Environmental Impact)

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) sustainability and (b) environmental impacts of private finance initiative projects and the capacity of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects;
	(3)  what plans he has to make private finance initiative contracts more (a) accountable and (b) transparent in terms of their environmental sustainability.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has integrated sustainable development criteria into its procurement activity for the majority of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects on the defence estate.
	No specific Ministry of Defence assessment has been made of the sustainability and environmental impacts of PFI projects and the capacity of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects. However, we ensure that all Ministry of Defence PFIs are compliant with the law and take into account the guidance on the use of environmental considerations in PFI contracts issued in July 2002 by the Office of Government Commerce, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	As part of the Sustainable Development in Government initiative, all Ministry of Defence PFI projects with sustainable development criteria in the selection process are required to be accountable for, and to report on, their sustainable development impacts in accordance with Ministry of Defence reporting requirements. This information will be included in the Ministry of Defence's first annual report on sustainable development, which will be published in the autumn.

Psychological Coercive Techniques

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  to what extent the UK armed forces (a) have used and (b) currently use psychological coercive techniques during their training; and whether such techniques have been used with any persons other than members of the UK armed forces during training;
	(2)  whether chartered psychologists (a) have assisted in the past and (b) are assisting the UK armed forces in the use or development of psychological coercive techniques.

Adam Ingram: 'Psychological coercive techniques' is not a term recognised by the United Kingdom armed forces and is therefore not defined in our doctrine. No use is made of such techniques.

RAF Cottesmore

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total manpower cost is of the Harrier GR7 structures undertaken at RAF Cottesmore, including all indirect costs.

Adam Ingram: The repair and maintenance of Harrier aircraft at RAF Cottesmore is undertaken by personnel from a number of different service units. The information is therefore not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

RAF Cottesmore

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the Harrier integrated project team's support of spares for the pulse line at RAF Cottesmore to ensure no aircraft slippage owing to shortages.

Adam Ingram: The Harrier Integrated Project Team provides logistic support to the entire Harrier GR7/T10 Departmental Fleet. The value of spares used on the pulse line at RAF Cottesmore is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Staff Cars

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the range of options for staff cars below Grade A available to officers of the armed forces is, giving the country of manufacture of each model.

Ivor Caplin: The range of options for staff cars below Grade A is as follows:
	
		Grade B staff cars
		
			 Manufacturer Model Country of manufacture 
		
		
			 United Kingdom: 
			 Ford Mondeo 2.0L Belgium 
			 Vauxhall Vectra 2.0L Germany 
			 Germany:   
			 Opel Astra Belgium/UK/Germany

Sudan

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel are in the Sudan; and in what role.

Adam Ingram: The UK currently contributes two military personnel in Sudan. Both occupy a Chief of Staff post, one in the Verification and Monitoring Team and one in the Joint Military Commission in the Nuba Mountains.

UK Defence Markets

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Government has made of the rules governing access to UK defence markets by foreign-owned companies; and whether the Government plans to make changes to the rules.

Adam Ingram: The Government has a strong interest in the success of the UK defence industry and in October 2002 we launched our Defence Industrial Policy aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the UK defence industry while continuing to provide high quality capabilities for the Armed Forces at best value for money for the taxpayer. As we made clear in our Policy we are less concerned about the ownership of companies than where the technology is created, where the skills and the intellectual property reside, where the investment is made and where the jobs are sustained and created. We continue to work with the defence industry as we develop the implementation of the Policy.

UN Operations

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of (a) the British armed forces and (b) the British medical auxiliaries, broken down by rank, have been suspended from duty in Iraq as a result of activities that may have breached the Geneva conventions in respect of the treatment of detainees.

Adam Ingram: None.

UN Operations

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the incidence of (a) rape and (b) other sexual abuse of Iraqis by British personnel serving in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: There have been no reports of rape. One case involving indecent assault has been referred for trial.

US-administered Places of Confinement

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals employed directly or indirectly by his Department have duties which involve working in or visiting places of confinement administered by the US in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Guantanamo Bay and (d) other places; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Three United Kingdom military personnel worked in Abu Ghraib prison (Iraq) from January 2004. One was withdrawn in March of this year, and the other two in April. Small teams also work in Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper (both Iraq). I am not aware of anyone else directly or indirectly employed by the department who has specific duties involving working in or visiting places of confinement administered by the US in any of our current operational areas; although I am aware some officers have visited US facilities in the past.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

City Academies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Local Government Association and (b) education trade unions about the city academy programme; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills meets regularly with the Local Government Association and education trade unions to discuss a variety of issues.

City Academies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his plans are for the expansion of city academies.

David Miliband: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced on 8 July, as part of his five year strategy for children and learners, his plans for 200 Academies open or in the pipeline by 2010 in areas with inadequate existing secondary schools.

Classroom Assistants

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to amend the salaries of classroom assistants; how much the planned changes will cost; and whether the Government plan to give schools extra funding to meet the costs of those changes.

David Miliband: holding answer 8 July 2004
	Pay and contractual arrangements of school support staff are matters for local determination: the Government believe that this is the best way of ensuring a flexible system that can respond to local needs and circumstances. Many local authorities have reviewed or are reviewing school support staff pay in the light of the Single Status Agreement introduced by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services from 1 April 1997 to harmonise the pay and conditions of all local authority staff.
	In October 2003, the Secretary of State announced a package of measures that will restore stability to the school funding system, including the introduction of a 4 per cent. minimum per pupil guarantee for schools. In addition to increases in general funding, for 2004–05 £279 million for support staff salaries is included in the new School Development Grant, worth £647 million in total. Schools are free to spend their School Development Grant on any purpose that supports improvements in teaching and learning.

Copeland Schools

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total capital expenditure in all schools in Copeland has been since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Government support for capital investment in school buildings will reach £5.1 billion in 2005–06. This is compared to £0.7 billion that was available in 1996–97. Much of our capital support is allocated to schools and local education authorities (LEAs) by formula, and they decide how to invest in line with their asset management plans. The Department does not have complete information about capital investment at constituency level. The following table sets out the capital support given by the Government to Cumbria LEA since 1997–98, in total and by programme, including devolved formula capital grants which go direct to schools.
	
		Capital allocations : Cumbria LEA and schools -- £000
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Assistance with AMPs — — 101 — — — — 
			 VA formulaic allocations — — — — 110 638 779 
			 Basic need 3,450 3,252 3,720 4,062 4,220 2,833 2,655 
			 Class size initiative — 119 722 467 — — — 
			 Condition — — — — 2,394 3,449 4,485 
			 Devolved formula — — — 4,456 3,628 5,502 8,204 
			 Early Excellence Centre — — — 30 — — — 
			 Energy — 119 — — — —  
			 Modernisation LEA — — — — — 1,527 2,564 
			 Modernisation VA — — — — — 309 772 
			 NDS 1 598 — — — — — — 
			 NDS 2 — 1,344 — — — — — 
			 NDS 3 — — 2,648 — — — — 
			 NDS 4 — — — 6,062 — — — 
			 Outside toilets — 143 31 — — — — 
			 School labs — — — 291 291 — — 
			 School security 136 171 207 208 146 126 — 
			 Schools access initiative 30 70 150 280 438 707 916 
			 Schools Renewal Challenge Fund — — — — — — — 
			 Secondary Learning Support Units — — — 112 122 157 — 
			 Seed challenge — — — 290 329 580 578 
			 Specialist schools — — — 100 300 100 — 
			 Staff workspace — — — — — 108 240 
			 Supplementary credit approvals 173 416 575 451 27 341 — 
			 Supplementary NDS for VA Schools — — — 181 5 — — 
			 Targeted capital funding — — — — 260 408 — 
			 Teaching environments for the future — — — — — — 650 
			 Voluntary Aided School Grant 533 616 758 654 993 1.448 — 
			 Total 4,920 6,250 8,912 17,644 13,263 18,233 21,843 
		
	
	To date we have allocated £20.5 million in 2004–05 and £9.3 million in 2005–06.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many deans of English dental schools Ministers and senior civil servants have met in the last six months to discuss the issue of the NHS dental workforce review.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	Deans of dental schools are represented on the Dental Education Workforce Committee, which met in January 2004. Senior officials are in regular discussion with representatives of dental schools, including deans. In the last six months, senior officials have visited the Eastman Dental Hospital, Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Dental Institute and Kings College London Dental Schools, the Royal London Dental School, Manchester Dental School and Birmingham Dental School. Discussions have ranged over a number of issues, including dental workforce and the dental workforce review. Ministers have not met with deans to discuss the dental workforce review.

Education Maintenance Allowances

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the differences in entitlement rules for education maintenance allowances are between areas that were part of the pilot schemes and the rest of England and Wales; and if he will remove those differences.

Ivan Lewis: The EMA pilot in England tested different variants of EMA and all these arrangements stop when the national scheme becomes fully operational. A uniform set of eligibility criteria will apply to pilot and non-pilot areas under the national scheme. The rules for the national scheme are more generous than for most of the pilots, with more families from low-income families being entitled to the full amount.
	Wales will launch its own EMA scheme in September 2004. The Welsh EMA will mirror the eligibility criteria of the English scheme.

Education Maintenance Allowances

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the funding allocation for the 2003 to 2006 spending review period was allocated to the national roll-out of education maintenance allowances in (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) further education colleges.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 8 July 2004
	The principal of the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme is to fund the student and not the institution. The Department estimates the overall cost for the next three financial years to be:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2004–05 275 
			 2005–06 403 
			 2006–07 476 
		
	
	For 2004/05 £19 million of the total budget is being made available to schools and colleges to help with the implementation and delivery of the scheme in the first year.

Exemplar Design Costs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 710W, what estimate he has made of the cost of building each of the exemplar designs; and which designs have been adopted by local education authorities as part of their bid.

David Miliband: There were 11 exemplar designs developed, five for secondary, five for primary and one all-through school. Each of the schemes were costed by the design teams all of which included Q.S. practices experienced in schools design. The costs were all compared with the DfES cost guidelines normalised to a location factor of one. The DfES cost guideline for a 1,150 pupil secondary school (6 FE and 250 sixth form) was £17,198,000 excluding any allowance for site related abnormal costs. The five secondary designs ranged between £16,060,000 and £16,674,563. The DfES cost guideline for a 2 FE Primary School with 26 FTE Nursery was £4,030,000. The five primary designs ranged between £3,736,000 and £4,053,000. The DfES cost guideline for a primary and secondary school (as described) combined was £21,038,000, the exemplar design was £20,914,000. All these costs are detailed in the 'Exemplar Designs'—concepts and ideas publication available on the website at www.teachernet.gov.uk/exemplars.
	All local education authorities in the Pathfinder and First Wave authorities have used the material published on all the exemplar designs in developing their thinking on education and design. It is too early to say whether any authority plans to adopt a specific design and develop it for one or more sites in their bid.

Failing Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Coventry have been classified as failing in each year since 1996.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library.

FE Colleges

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places are being made available for 14–16 year olds in further education colleges in 2004–05, broken down by local education authority area; and what the figures were in 2003–04.

Alan Johnson: The Department does not make specific provision for 14–16 year olds to attend further education colleges and therefore there are no estimates on the number of places to be made available in 2004–05.
	The most comprehensive data which is available arises from the Increased Flexibility for 14–16 year olds programme (IFP). In September 2003 there were around 90,000 14–16 year olds participating in this programme, of which about 65 per cent. were being taught in colleges of further education for part of the week.
	It is anticipated that participation in the Increased Flexibility programme in 2004–05 will be similar to that for 2003–04.

Former Grant-maintained Schools

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding each formerly grant maintained school has received in each year since 1995.

David Miliband: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

GCSEs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children obtained five A*–C GCSE passes in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) ethnic origin, (b) social class and (c) gender.

Stephen Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1424W.

GCSEs

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE in state schools in Wansdyke constituency in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(35)achieving five or more grades A*–C at GCSE/GNVQ
		
			 Academic year Wansdyke England 
		
		
			 1997 50.2 45.1 
			 1998 48.8 46.3 
			 1999 50.1 47.9 
			 2000 55.2 49.2 
			 2001 56.0 50.0 
			 2002 57.7 51.6 
			 2003 61.2 52.9 
		
	
	(35) GCSE/GNVQ results are reported as standard as the results of pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.

Learning and Skills Council

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether post-16 education undertaken by city academies is included within the scope of the strategic area reviews being undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council.

David Miliband: All post-16 education within a local Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) area is covered by strategic area reviews. As academies are not directly funded by the Learning and Skills Council a protocol has been developed between the Department and the LSC for working together and for ensuring that information is shared effectively. The protocol encourages new academy partnerships to share information with the relevant local LSC in the early stages of the project. Expressions of interest for new academy projects are circulated to the national and relevant local LSC for comment before being submitted to Ministers for approval. And the national and local LSC is notified when Ministers approve funding for a new academy.

Local Education Partnerships

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he held with (a) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the operation of arm's length management organisations and (b) the Department of Health on the operation of local improvement finance trusts before establishing local education partnerships.

David Miliband: holding answer 13 May 2004
	My officials routinely discuss the operation of a range of commercial relationships with colleagues in other departments, including arms-length management organisations and local improvement finance trusts. Furthermore, the Department makes use of its relationship with Partnerships UK to keep abreast of lessons learnt and best practice in this area of policy.

Overseas Students

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of bogus applications from overseas students to universities in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many applications to university have been made by overseas students in each year since 1997, broken down by country of origin.

Alan Johnson: Information on the number of applications from overseas students by country of origin is available from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) at www.ucas.ac.uk. Information on the number of these applications which are bogus is not available. Although UCAS has a Verification Unit which detects and records fraudulent applications, their available figures cover all UK-domiciled and overseas students in total, and do not identify overseas students separately.

Physical Education

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what sports are judged inappropriate by the Joint Council for General Qualification for the practical aspect of GCSE and A Level physical education.

David Miliband: I understand that the Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents and coordinates the work of the unitary awarding bodies, AQA, Edexcel and OCR, has agreed not to permit, for the practical elements of GCSE and A Level physical education, sports such as boxing which they regard as involving the intention to cause injury.

Plagiarism Advisory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Plagiarism Advisory Service.

Alan Johnson: I have had no discussions with the Plagiarism Advisory Service. However, I am aware that this service, set up by the Joint Information Systems Committee, provides valuable advice, guidance and tools for institutions, academic staff and students in the area of plagiarism.

Prisons (Education)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the prison population are studying for qualifications at (a) Level 1, (b) Level 2 and (c) Level 3.

Ivan Lewis: We hold information centrally on prisoner achievement against national targets: for achievements in "Skills for Life" (literacy, language and numeracy) up to Level 2 and in vocational qualifications which prepare them for work. The latter are not recorded by level. Information on achievements is not held centrally on an individual prisoner basis.
	Since 1 April 2004 prisoners have achieved 3,505 "Skills for Life" qualifications at Level 1 and 2,254 qualifications at Level 2. They have also achieved 22,928 work skills.
	In 2003–04, prisoners achieved 46,517 "Skills for Life" qualifications across all levels against a target of 36,631, and 109,237 work skills.
	These figures cannot be expressed as a proportion of annual throughput, as overall information on prisoner participation and achievement in education is collected at establishment level in terms of the overall number of qualifications gained.

Prisons (Education)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many prisoners are studying for degrees.

Ivan Lewis: 872 prisoners registered for Open University courses in 2003–04.

Private Finance Initiative

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list private finance initiative contracts operating in schools in England, broken down by local authority area, indicating in each case (a) the contractor, (b) the value of the contract, (c) whether it is for construction or maintenance and (d) the expected completion date for construction contracts.

David Miliband: The Department publishes a document called the Project List which lists all the schools Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects that are currently in procurement, under construction or operational. The projects are listed by local educational authority area, the nature of the project and, where the contract has been signed, details of the contractor, the value of the contract in terms of PFI credits and the completion date. This list is updated on a regular basis and can be accessed via the website www.teachernet.gov.uk/pfi.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on discussions with the (a) Church of England and (b) Roman Catholic Church on Building Schools for the Future.

David Miliband: Discussions with both Churches are continuing. We have set up a working group, which will meet later this month, to look in particular at the funding of Voluntary Aided schools in Building Schools for the Future.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 711W, on schools (capital investment), who is responsible for determining the procurement route under Building Schools for the Future.

David Miliband: In line with Government policy (The Treasury Green Book and Meeting Investment Challenge) the procurement route is determined on the basis of value for money. The Local Education Partnership (LEP) has to submit a business case in support of the procurement route chosen that is then scrutinised by Partnership for Schools and DfES to ensure value for money.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 711W, on schools (capital investment), what mechanism is in place to manage potential conflicts of interest when Partnership for Schools is both monitoring local education authorities and acting as a director of and equity participant in a Local Education Partnership.

David Miliband: Partnerships for Schools will be an investor in a Local Education Partnership (LEP), commercially incentivised along with the local education authority and the private sector partner to ensure that the LEP takes forward proposals that meet both local requirements and national programme objectives. As a non-departmental public body (NDPB), Partnerships for Schools will only act in the interests of the public sector—and by being a co-investor along with local authorities in LEPs, its interests will consist solely of furthering national or local programme objectives. No conflicts of interest are therefore anticipated.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 710W, on schools (capital investment), who will be responsible for monitoring the cost-effectiveness of the building programme.

David Miliband: The Local Education Partnership (LEP) is a vehicle being developed to deliver Building Schools for the Future at a local level. Its joint venture partners are incentivised to make sure that the building programme is delivering value for money since Partnership for Schools will be able to monitor all bid prices and benchmark them against market norms. Value for money is achieved because any work by the LEP is contingent upon price and quality performance as outlined in the Strategic Partnering Agreement and compulsory periodic benchmarking.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimates have been made of the running costs of the Partnership for Schools.

David Miliband: Partnership for Schools is a company limited by shares and a non-departmental public body established on 2 April 2004 to deliver the Building Schools for the Future programme. In 2005–06, this programme will invest around £2 billion in renewing the English secondary schools estate.
	The forecast running costs are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2004–05 10 
			 2005–06 9.5 
			 2006–07 9.8 
		
	
	The estimates for 05–06 and 06–07 are based on 04–05 activity with an estimate for inflation, and are indicative as Building Schools for the Future itself is still being developed. In particular, work on the creation of local education partnerships is still subject to consultation with stakeholders.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expected life of local education partnerships is where they do not take an equity stake in schools.

David Miliband: The local education partnership (LEP) will be the special purpose vehicle set up for the procurement of schools buildings and maintenance contracts let within Building Schools for the Future (BSF). The expected life of the local education partnerships is expected to be around 10–15 years, regardless of the quantum of equity held by the LEP in the underlying contracts.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisations and individuals have expressed interest in participating in local education partnerships as private sector partners.

David Miliband: There have been no formal expressions of interest as the procurement process for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects is not yet under way. However, a large range of private sector entities have responded either formally or informally, and on their own account or through representative bodies, to the DfES/PfS consultation paper on local education partnerships and there has been a range of meetings with public and private sector BSF stakeholders.

School Building

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reasons Partnership for Schools has been established as a non-departmental public body.

David Miliband: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) represents the most complete investment in school buildings infrastructure ever seen in England, with around a projected spend of £2.2 billion in its first year 2005–06.
	In order to create a strong focus for change in the way that school buildings and infrastructure are obtained, introducing private sector disciplines, developing and retaining specialist procurement knowledge and allowing the DfES to concentrate on its policy role, at a national level the best delivery vehicle is a national procurement body. Partnerships for Schools(PfS) has been set up as a non-departmental public body (NDPB) to fulfil these challenges and to be the dedicated BSF delivery arm.
	PfS has been set up as an Executive NDPB to give it the ability to employ its own staff, responsibility for its own budget and a focused mission while at the same time ensuring that there is a clear framework for achieving proper standards of propriety and accountability as though it was a Government Department.
	PfS will work with local procuring agencies to set up Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) with which the procuring agencies would have strategic partnership agreements. PfS will facilitate strategic planning, develop PFI and PPP models for schools infrastructure and reduce transaction costs relative to the value of the investment procured. This in turn will help to provide a steady flow of school projects for the private sector and PfS will offer the opportunities to reduce the unit costs of schools projects.

Special Educational Needs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent in each Lancashire district on special educational need provision in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The available information is contained within the following table.
	
		Planned net spend on special educational needs provision -- £
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 SEN element of schools budget — — 16,455,000 
			 SEN element of LEA budget — — 5,567,000 
			 Total central spend by LEAs on SEN 20,326,000 15,163,000 — 
			 ISB for special schools 23,479,000 25,233,000 26,969,000 
			 Funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" 39,021,000 46,271,000 50,357,000 
			 Total budget for special educational needs provision 82,826,000 86,666,000 99,347,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data are taken from Lancashire LEA's Section 52 Budget Statements submitted to the DfES. S52 is collected at local authority level not district level and consequently the figures provided are for Lancashire LEA.
	2. The layout of Table 1 of the budget statement in 2003–04 was different to the layout used in previous years and consequently for financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03 the spend by LEAs on SEN was not separated out into the schools budget and LEA budget. For 2001–02 and 2002–03 the total central spend by LEAs on SEN is recorded on lines 1.4.1 to 1.4.4, 1.4.7 to 1.4.9 and 1.9 from table 1 of the S52 budget statement.
	3. The funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" is as recorded on Table 2 of the budget statement. Figures are only indicative of the amount that might be spent by schools on SEN. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	4. The SEN element of the schools budget includes the provision for pupils with statements, specialist report for statemented and non-statemented pupils, collaboration and integration, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad and inter-authority recoupment. This is recorded in lines 1.1.1 to 1.1.6 in Table 1 of the 2003–04 budget statement.
	5. The SEN element of the LEA budget includes educational psychology service/assessments and statementing, LEA functions in relation to child protection, health service partnerships/special medical attention, parent partnership, guidance and information and promoting good practice and collaboration. This is recorded in line 2.2.6 of Table 1 of the 2003–04 budget statement.

Teaching Staff Numbers

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) teachers and (b) education support staff there were in Wansdyke constituency in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004.

David Miliband: The following table gives (a) the full-time equivalent number of teachers and (b) the full-time equivalent number of support staff employed in maintained schools in Wansdyke constituency in January of 1997 and 2003. Information for 2004 is not yet available at constituency level.
	
		
			  1997 2003 
		
		
			 Teachers(36) 860 940 
			 Support staff(37) 250 390 
		
	
	(36) Includes all teachers normally employed within schools in the survey week. Teachers absent for long periods or seconded to other duties are excluded; their replacements, provided they are qualified teachers, are included.
	(37) Includes teaching assistants, administrative staff, technicians and other support staff.
	Source:
	Annual School Census.

Working Tax Credit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had on the effect of excluding families in receipt of working tax credit from remission of charges for board and lodging on residential educational visits; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions on the effect of excluding families in receipt of working tax credits (WTC) from remission of charges for board and lodging on residential educational visits. If families who receive WTC received free board and lodging on residential trips, it is unlikely that LEAs and schools would have sufficient funds to run most residential trips. For this reason remission of these charges is targeted at non-working families in receipt of specific means tested benefits, as we consider that they are the families most in need of additional help.

Working Tax Credit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of families in receipt of working tax credit with an income below £13,230 who did not qualify for remission of charges for board and lodging during residential educational visits, in the last period for which information is available.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect this information.